Unexpected
by TayaHearts
Summary: A foreign shinobi is discovered in Fire Country, and she is anything but ordinary. She is desperately running away from something, but what? Will she escape or will it catch up to her? OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I'm finally back after a very long hiatus. I have to apologize for not uploading anything new recently. For any of you who have read my Twilight story, you know that I had a baby this past January. His name is Dean. He's 7 months old now and he is my entire life. I started this story right before I had my son, so, as I'm sure you can understand, I've had little time to write. When I do have time, I'm usually too tired to. But the way I do fanfictions is I have everything finished before I post, so this story is completely finished. You don't have to worry about never getting the ending, and posts will come regularly. My friends on this site helped me through my pregnancy, so I've had really good experiences on here and I hope they continue. **

**As for this story, I'm actually not really much of a Naruto fan. I was back in high school before it got really big, but after that I just sort of fizzled out. I have not seen any of the anime. The voices in the commercials I have seen are so entirely different from what I imagined them that I just never bothered to watch. I also got bored in the manga by the time it got to the time skip, so everything in this story is AU-ish based on the first part of the manga. If the later novels contradict what I say in here, as I'm sure they do, I apologize but this is a pre-time-skip fanfiction. I own very few of the characters in here, and I'm sure you'll recognize the ones I do. I'm actually pretty fond of them and I really hope you enjoy this story. Wow, this intro is way too long so I apologize for that too. Please review for me! **

The sun overhead was nearing its peak in a clear, cloudless sky. The light filtered down through the thick foliage in a green haze, casting gently wafting shadows on the hard-packed earth of the forest floor. The heat smothered everything like a suffocating blanket.

Aburame Shino sat slumped at the base of a Larch tree deep within the forest, his shoulders hunched, his breathing labored. His left leg was visibly broken, and there was a gash somewhere on his forehead that dripped a steady stream of blood down his cheek. He had been victorious in his battle, but he had depleted all of his chakra.

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached Shino's well-trained ears and, despite his extensive injuries, he jerked to attention. He dragged himself to his uninjured leg, drawing the few kunai knives he still had. Even in his injured state, he reasoned, if he could manage the element of surprise, he might be able to emerge victorious against an enemy.

Shino held his breath as the footsteps grew closer. The bushes parted and the person came into view. Whoever it was had wrapped themselves up in layers of loose, dark-colored fabric so that it was impossible to make out any features. The hood was pulled low over his face, obscuring all but the tip of a suntanned nose. He carried a carefully rolled pack on his back and moved with a fierce determination.

The stranger had almost made it all the way across the clearing when he stopped suddenly and looked directly at Shino, hiding behind the Larch. Shino ground his teeth together in consternation and cursed under his breath.

Moving almost painfully slow, the stranger reached into the many folds of his cloak and pulled out a shinobi headband. He held it up so the metal plate on the front caught the sunlight filtering in patches through the leaves: a Hidden Waterfall ninja.

Shino sighed in relief and sheathed his weapons. Konoha was allies with Taki, the shinobi village in the Waterfall Country. He slipped out from behind the tree.

The stranger was at his side instantly, moving so quickly Shino almost didn't catch the movement. He slid an arm around Shino and helped him to sit down, giving a cursory glance over Shino's wounds. Then he shrugged out of his pack and unrolled it on the ground, revealing an extensive amount of medical supplies. Shino could only remember seeing so much medical supplies at the Konoha hospital.

"Thanks," Shino said as the stranger began mixing a tonic from several different liquids contained in vials inside the medical pack.

The stranger nodded in acknowledgement but didn't speak. His hands moved quickly as Shino drank the tonic, fashioning a rudimentary splint out of pieces of wood found around the clearing. After fastening the splint around Shino's broken leg, he moved to apply a thick poultice to the gash in Shino's forehead, which stemmed the blood flow substantially almost at once.

"Where are you headed?" Shino wondered, feeling the throbbing pain of his injuries subside.

The stranger paused long enough to nod in the direction Shino himself was going.

"Konoha?" Shino guessed, and the stranger nodded. Shino, who was usually a quiet and introverted individual, found himself talking just to fill up the silence. "Do you speak?"

The stranger chuckled to himself and nodded.

"But you're not going to," the Leaf shinobi surmised.

Again the stranger nodded, wrapping a bandage around Shino's forehead and putting away his medical supplies. He extended a hand and pulled Shino to his feet.

"I have companions also fighting battles in this wood," Shino explained as the stranger again slipped an arm around him to support his weight. "If you help me find them, and tend to whatever wounds they may have, I'll gladly take you right to Konoha."

The stranger didn't even bother to think about it, just nodded silently.

So the two of them set out, moving slowly due to Shino's broken leg. With the stranger in such close proximity, Shino was afforded an opportunity to study him a bit more closely. Though the face was in shadow, what he could see of the stranger's nose was a bit sunburned and sprinkled with freckles. The stranger was almost an entire head shorter than Shino, and he exuded a smell of some sort of tropical flower and an array of herbs.

They had ambled along awkwardly for a quarter of an hour when the stranger suddenly ducked away from Shino, leaving the Leaf ninja to grab hold of a nearby tree for support. The stranger rushed to the side of a rather large spiky-haired boy lying face-down in the dirt, unconscious.

"That's Chouji, of the Akimichi clan," Shino explained, breathing heavily from the exertion and the toll his injuries were taking on his body. "His fallback plan is a series of pills that produce an excess amount of chakra. He very rarely uses them. The last time, it took the Fifth Hokage almost a week to come up with an effective antidote."

The stranger nodded almost imperceptibly at this information, rolling the corpulent body over with more strength than Shino would have guessed he had. Then, unrolling his medical pack, he set about mixing something together. He trickled his quickly-made antidote down Chouji's throat.

Chouji's eyelids fluttered for a moment, then he rolled onto his side and promptly vomited noisily.

"Thanks," Chouji muttered weakly, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. "I thought I was a goner after that last fight..."

Shino frowned. "Chouji, didn't it take the Fifth a week to come up with an antidote last time you used those pills?"

Chouji lumbered heavily to his feet, using the stranger's offered arm to steady himself. "Yeah," he agreed, rubbing his head wearily. "Whoever you are, you're the best healer I've ever heard of."

"He's from Takigakure," Shino explained. "He's helping me find everybody and get them back to Konoha."

"Well, I owe you too!" Chouji grinned cheerfully, holding out his hand to the stranger. "I'll help you any way I can!"

The stranger politely shook Chouji's outstretched hand and they went in search of the remaining three Konoha shinobi.

The going was much quicker with both the stranger and Chouji supporting Shino between them, and it was only a little while later when a kunai knife sliced through the air like a musical instrument to lodge itself in a tree just before them.

"Damn, it's you guys," a voice croaked.

They found the thrower of the knife, introduced to the stranger as Hyuuga Neji, standing beside a tree. He had very large, odd-colored eyes that seemed hazy and unfocused. The bones in his left hand had been entirely crushed, a bloody mass oozing blood at the end of his arm. It seemed to be his only injury, but it was severe.

"Who the hell are you?" Neji sneered as the stranger pulled a roll of bandages out of his medical pack and attempted to separate what used to be Neji's fingers.

Chouji quickly explained about their silent assistant and the agreement to take him to Konoha once all their companions had been successfully located and patched up.

"He's a better healer than the Fifth," Chouji added defensively.

"That's not possible," Neji replied, but his tone had lost some of the sharp edge.

Neji refused the stranger's pain medicine, preferring to be in complete control of his senses, so the stranger packed up his supplies again and they went in search of the final two Konoha shinobi stranded out in the forest.

"Hidden Grass ninjas have been infiltrating Hi no Kuni," Chouji explained to the stranger as they walked, burdened down by Shino's broken leg. "We've been exterminating a scout party that was seen by some genin a few days ago."

He might have continued, but they spotted another Konoha shinobi then. This one was lying on his back near a bloody mess that must have once been his opponent. The front of the Leaf nin's jacket was soaked with blood. His hand was tangled in the fur of a small white dog that lay, unmoving, beside him.

When the shinobi saw them, his face split into a painful, exhausted grin. "I'd about given up hope that you were going to find me," he croaked.

The stranger hurried forward to Kiba, noting just how much blood he seemed to have lost. Out of his medical pack he produced a poultice similar to the one he had used on Shino's forehead. Removing Kiba's shirt, the stranger spread the poultice gently across deep gashes that ran the entire length of the man's torso. Then, careful so as not to cause any more damage, the stranger wrapped bandages around the injured area and gave him a tonic for the pain.

"Please, I know you're not a vet or anything, but could you do something for Akamaru?" Kiba pleaded. "He's used all his chakra protecting me..."

The stranger didn't answer, but his swift, deft hands began to mix some sort of ointment. Using his thumb, he wrenched the dog's jaws open and spread the mixture onto the tongue. The dog shuddered for a moment, then wearily opened his eyes.

Once both man and dog were able to move, they set off in search of the final shinobi. They didn't have to look far. His battle had just ended, and it had been a very noisy one.

Shikamaru jumped down from the tree he was standing in to join his comrades, pressing one hand over a particularly nasty wound in his shoulder that oozed blood through his long, skinny fingers.

"Who's this?" he demanded in a bored tone of voice, indicating the stranger.

"He's a healing shinobi from the Hidden Waterfall," Shino explained in his cool, quiet voice. "He's quite adept at his art. We're showing him the way to Konoha in exchange for tending to our injuries."

Shikamaru peered suspiciously at the dark hood, unable to see anything past the tip of the stranger's upturned nose. "Let me see your face," he demanded.

The stranger shook his head, reaching for a weapon. He made it quite clear that he would use force to defend his anonymity.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, but he didn't press the matter. "All right, patch me up then."

The stranger moved faster than before, possibly afraid of having his identity discovered, but he stopped the flow of blood in Shikamaru's shoulder and gave him something for the pain.

With all the Konoha shinobi found and alive, the six of them, plus Akamaru the dog, headed back towards the village. The sun was encroaching on the horizon now; the late August day was coming to a close. It was almost sunset when the odd group crested the final hill and looked down the valley at the village of Konohagakure.

Kiba let out a low whistle. From their vantage point on the hill, they could see that the village was overrun with foreign shinobi. Kiba sniffed the air experimentally. "They smell like... Waterfall ninjas..."

They all turned to look at the stranger, whose entire body tensed up beneath the layers and layers of loose cloth. The suntanned nose twitched.

"Are they after you?" Neji demanded crossly.

The stranger nodded defiantly.

"Well, he helped all of us. I'm not just going to turn him in," Chouji said. "We can sneak him out of here before they realize-"

The stranger shook his head emphatically, refusing to leave. He pointed with a fabric-draped hand towards the tallest building in the village of Konoha, the building that housed the shinobi government.

"You want to see the Hokage?" Neji demanded skeptically. "You think that we're really going to take you to see her when all these Hidden Waterfall nins are looking for you?"

The stranger reached into the heavy folds of his cloak and pulled out a handful of kunai knives. He tossed them on the ground at Neji's feet. A few shuriken followed these, and then it seemed like the stranger was out of weapons. He spread his arms out, as if daring any of them to check him for more weapons.

Neji, the jounin among them and their leader, hesitated a moment. Then he nodded at Shikamaru, who was closest to the stranger.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled, putting his hands inside the cloak and patting the stranger down. The stranger tolerated all this with his usual silence. Shikamaru stopped and gave the stranger a suspicious look, but the blazing eyes within the hood silenced him. "Clean," he muttered, dropping his hands to his sides. "There are no more weapons."

Neji frowned. "Fine. We'll take you to the village. But if something happens after that, we won't defend you."

The stranger nodded in understanding and they set off down the hill for the enormous gates leading into the village.

They had barely made it through the gates when they were spotted by a group of rough-looking Anbu scouring the streets and alleys. They were dressed in all black and all were heavily armed.

"There!" one of them called to his companions. "That's the one we're looking for!" He was pointing to the baggy stranger.

The Anbu advanced on them slowly. "We're not going to hurt you," a female Anbu told the stranger. "We're just going to take you to see the Hokage. She has a few things she'd like to say to you."

"Go," Chouji hissed through clenched teeth, lowering himself to a defensive stance. "We'll hold them off for as long as we can."

"No," the stranger said, pushing the hood back. Long blonde hair tumbled out of the hood down the stranger's back. Her face was suntanned and heart-shaped, with big black eyes and a rosebud mouth. Her eyes were hard as she faced the Anbu. "Take me to see the soulless old whore. I've got a few things to say to _her_."

Chouji, Kiba, and Shino gaped at the girl. Even though she was dressed in frumpy, dusty cloaks, she held her head high and looked down her nose at the Anbu. Neji scowled at her, and Shikamaru muttered, "Troublesome," under his breath.

The Anbu scowled, probably at the girl's use of "whore" for the Hokage of Konoha. "Come along," she muttered, grabbing the girl by the upper arm and escorting her rather roughly towards the tower building.

"You lot too," another Anbu said gruffly, herding the injured Leaf shinobi after the lumpy girl and the female Anbu. Neji gave Chouji a withering look as they followed.

The girl didn't speak again as the Anbu took them up a series of winding staircases to the office at the top of the central tower. They found the Hokage poring over a map of Fire country with two of her jounin. Tsunade appeared to be in her early thirties, blonde, with a low cut shirt that revealed quite a bit of cleavage. She looked up, frustrated, when the Anbu and younger shinobi entered. Her jounin, Hatake Kakashi and Nara Shikako, Shikamaru's father, turned their attention to the door as well.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed when she saw the girl draped in the heavy clothes. "You are in _big_ trouble, young lady!" she exclaimed. "Your father has a hundred Waterfall shinobi scouring the countryside for you! I've got fifty of my own men looking for you when I'm facing an invasion from Kusa no Kuni and don't have the men to spare!"

"Yes, you know, I'd heard you'd become the Hokage of Konoha," the girl said coolly, her voice and eyes like ice. "What has it been? Five years now?"

Tsunade lost her steam and managed to look a little abashed. "Yes, well, I've been meaning to write. It seems I don't have enough time to do all the things I'd like. But, even if I haven't had the chance to write, you shouldn't have run off from Taki like that."

"I didn't come to see you," the girl yawned disinterestedly. "I got bored at home. I thought I'd do a bit of traveling."

Tsunade clenched her teeth together. "You are such a spoiled little brat! When you get home, I'm going to see to it that you are locked away for-"

"Do you remember when my birthday is?" the girl interrupted coolly. "I know it might be difficult for someone as dim as you to remember, but surely you know."

"Of course I know when your birthday is," Tsunade said irritably. "It's in the middle of July, you-"

The girl interrupted again, crossing her arms. "And what is the date today?"

"It's the end of August, you little-" She stopped suddenly. "Oh. That's when you ran away...it was _that_ birthday, wasn't it?"

A cold, tight smile appeared on the girl's full lips. "Why yes, it was. You know, when my Presentation Ceremony was. _You_ were supposed to be there."

"I am so sorry, doll," Tsunade sank down heavily on the edge of her desk. "I really am. My job is so hectic..."

The girl gave another tightlipped smile that was anything but genuine. "I'm sure."

Tsunade sighed again. "You know I'm going to have to send you back. Your father is worried sick."

"I'll just run away again." The girl's eyes flashed defiantly. "I _hate_ it there. I'm not going back."

The Hokage gave a feeble smile. "Well, I don't suppose it would hurt to let you stay here for a few months," she said, reaching out to brush a lone lock of hair off the girl's suntanned forehead. The girl jerked away automatically and Tsunade dropped her hand to her side, the smile on her face never wavering. "Would you like that, doll?"

The girl seemed torn between resenting Tsunade and accepting the offer. "Fine," she muttered eventually. "But not because of you. I just don't want to go back to Taki."

Tsunade put her hands on the girl's shoulders and turned her around to face their awkward audience. "Gentlemen," Tsunade announced with a smile. "I'd like you all to meet my daughter, Katsuki."

The girl looked at them rebelliously, as if daring any of them to notice any weakness. Her eyes were large and framed by heavy lashes, and her jaw was set defiantly. Her face, despite dark smudges of dirt going across one cheek, was coldly beautiful.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Katsuki-san," Shikako said, bowing his head politely. "If I remember correctly, your mother spends most evenings here at her office. Please allow me to offer you more comfortable accommodations at my own home."

"That's very kind of you, Shikako," Tsunade beamed pleasantly. "What do you think, doll?"

Suki stepped away from her mother pointedly and gave Shikako a brief smile. "That would be very nice, sensei. Thank you."

"Shikamaru, why don't you show Katsuki-san to the house. And let your mother know that I'll be home late for dinner," Shikako said to his son, looking over their injuries with a curious look that would demand explanation when time and circumstance allowed. "You boys look like you need a well-deserved rest."

**Okay, there's chapter one. Please, please, please review! No flames though please. Constructive criticisms are always welcome but if you want to be nasty this is not the place to do it! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**No reviews yet. How sad. I hope you enjoy this chapter, however! **

None of them spoke until they were safely out of the tall building and in the street below.

"You could have at least told us who you were," Chouji said sullenly, hurt after having trusted her so completely.

Suki sniffed indifferently. "There were Waterfall and Leaf shinobi out looking for me, wanting to take me back to Taki. I wasn't about to jeopardize my journey."

At the crossroads, Chouji, Shino, and Neji bid them farewell and headed south to their homes. Suki followed Kiba and Shikamaru up the north road.

"No wonder you're such a good healer," Kiba chuckled conversationally as they walked, Akamaru riding on his head. "With someone like the Fifth for a mother!"

She rounded on him, eyes flashing and nose quivering. "Everything I know I have gained through hard work and dedication. I have learned _nothing_ from that woman. _Nothing_!"

"Okay, okay!" Kiba held up his hands in surrender. He quickly excused himself and Suki was left on the road with Shikamaru.

Neither spoke. They walked along, Shikamaru with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and Suki with her head bowed. She seemed lost in thought, following Shikamaru mechanically. He studied her face out of the corner of his eye. Now, when her guard had been let down, the haughty expression had disappeared. She looked lonely.

She glanced up and caught him staring at her. Her guard went up immediately. "I want to thank you," she said finally. "For, you know, not saying anything when you realized who I was."

"I didn't know who you were." Shikamaru looked away from her again, thinking how troublesome it was that he was intrigued. "I just knew that you weren't who you were pretending to be." He let out a low chuckle. "I must say, it was a bit of a shock to grab tit when I was patting you down."

Suki gaped at him for a moment, clearly shocked by his crude language. But then she laughed heartily, smiling the first genuine smile he had yet seen on her.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "It wasn't really funny..."

"I'm sorry." She was still grinning. When she smiled, she had dimples that appeared in her cheeks that were almost precious. "It's just, back where I'm from, nobody is that candid with me. They tiptoe around like any coarse or vulgar words would upset me."

Shikamaru felt himself drawn in despite his internal warning. "What kind of a place are you from where they can't even be honest with you?"

The guard went back up immediately. "It's the sort of treatment one gets when their parents are as important as mine. I'll be surprised when it doesn't happen here." She sounded bitter.

Shikamaru might have pressed the matter, because he found he was more than a little interested, but they had already reached his house. He slid open the front door and led the way into the dim, cool interior, a welcome relief from the oppressive heat outside.

"Shikamaru? Is that you?" Shikamaru's mother called, coming out of the kitchen wearing a faded floral-print apron and brandishing a wooden spoon. She stopped short when she saw who her son was with. "Oh," was all she could say.

Suki fell in love with Yoshino at once. She had her lustrous dark hair pulled back off her face, and she was dressed so modestly! To Suki, Yoshino embodied everything that Tsunade lacked as a mother.

"This is Katsuki, the Fifth's daughter," Shikamaru explained in a bored voice. "She's from Takigakure and going to be in town for a few months, and dad invited her to stay with us."

Yoshino smoothed her hair down nervously. "Oh my, the Fifth's daughter, you say? Why, of course you're welcome in our home! What a pleasure to meet you, dear!" And she promptly enveloped the girl in a warm hug while Shikamaru sidled off, unnoticed.

Suki stood there as stiff as a board, her eyes quite wide. She stood there with her arms pinned down to her side awkwardly. She had seen other people embrace, certainly, but they had never embraced her, not even her father. In fact, people had always avoided touching her altogether. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the contact.

Yoshino took Suki's stiff posture and unresponsive manner to mean that she had offended Suki. She dropped her arms at once and stepped back. "I'm so sorry. I have no respect for personal space. I won't do it again."

"No," Suki said quickly. "I think I rather enjoyed it. But...I'm afraid I don't understand _why_ you embraced me."

Yoshino thought she was joking at first, but the look on Suki's face showed how serious she was. So Yoshino racked her brain for a decent answer. "Well," she tapped her finger thoughtfully against her chin. "You hug someone that you like, I suppose. I met you and I liked you right away, so I thought I would give you a hug."

Suki smiled, looking suddenly more like a young child than a cold, spoiled young woman.

"I'm sure you must be exhausted," Yoshino said, putting an arm around Suki's shoulders. "What a journey you must have had from Taki to Konoha! I'll show you to the guest room, where you can rest. There's a bath at the end of the hall if you wish to make use of that." She steered her new houseguest up the stairs to the second floor. "I'll come fetch you when dinner is ready. It'll be about an hour and a half. I hope you can wait that long."

"Actually," Suki allowed herself to be directed towards the guest bedroom. "If it's alright, I'd like to watch you cook. I'm sure I would be a fast learner."

Yoshino was taken aback by this request. "Well, of course you're welcome to. I don't know how interesting it will be. I'm afraid I don't know any tricks."

"That's all right." Suki assured her quickly. "I'd like to learn anything I can. Back home, I've never been allowed anywhere near the kitchen."

The older woman smiled prettily. "Well, I'd be glad to teach you everything I know. Why don't you get washed up, rest up as much as you'd like, and then come down to the kitchen?" she suggested. Then she bade her guest farewell and went back down the stairs, wondering where her troublesome husband and son were.

Suki let herself into the guest room. It was far smaller than her room back in Taki, but after spending so long on her journey, she welcomed any comforts. The bed was narrow and covered with a handmade quilt. A potted plant sat in the corner, beside a window that overlooked a fabulous garden near a koi pond.

She gratefully stripped off her heavy cloaks, finally allowing herself to feel the intense heat that had threatened to overwhelm her for weeks now. It was a relief to strip off the layers of her anonymity.

It was even more of a relief to sink into a tub full of steaming water in the bathroom down the hall. She had been on the road for a little over a month, never daring to stop at an inn or tavern for the night. So she had bathed in rivers and streams when she'd come across them, but she was infinitely grateful for a chance to wash away the grime.

She leaned her head back, soaking her long hair and thinking with a frown. She felt defeated after her encounter with her mother. She had traveled all that way, all the way from the Waterfall Country, and her reception had been less than welcoming. She didn't know what she had expected, but it certainly wasn't this. She slapped at the water angrily.

Suki remained in the water until her fingers looked like prunes. Then she dragged herself out of the tub and dried off with a towel she found in the cupboard. Since her own clothes were dirty from her long journey, Yoshino had laid out an old kimono. It was too large for Suki and the fabric was faded, but it was soft and smelled comforting, so she drew it on gladly. She combed through her wet hair and went in search of the kitchen.

Yoshino set Suki up dicing celery for the stew she was cooking for dinner. She herself was chopping up grilled fish to go in the stew.

After a few moments of no noise but the chopping of knives, Yoshino said, "So Shikamaru tells me you came all the way from Taki by yourself, Katsuki-san. It must have been an awfully long journey."

"Yes," Suki answered distractedly, concentrating very hard on cutting the celery into perfectly even pieces. "Tsunade missed my Presentation."

Yoshino dumped her pieces of grilled fish into the stockpot. "And what presentation would that be, dear?"

"My Presentation Ceremony, of course." Suki sounded surprised. "You see, my father is Yamamoto Kensuke."

Yoshino stopped and looked at the girl. "Your father is the Hero of the Hidden Falls and your mother is the Hokage of Konohagakure? That makes you a very important person, doesn't it?"

Suki nodded grimly, dicing the celery stalk with much less precision now. "That's why I was being presented. And my mother was supposed to be there. It was very important that she was there, but she didn't come."

"Well, you know, being the Hokage is a very trying job," Yoshino tried, stirring the pot. "I'm sure she just-"

"Yoshino-sama," Suki interrupted, a pained expression on her face. "I appreciate you trying to help, but Tsunade has never been a mother." Her face grew bitter. "She cares more about Konoha then she ever cared about me."

Yoshino didn't answer, knowing the cause was lost.

When Shikamaru came downstairs for dinner, he found a completely different Suki bustling about the kitchen, bringing plates and cutlery and the teapot to the table. No longer was she obscured by layers of dark, shapeless cloth. Now she was dressed in a loose-fitting kimono that he recognized as his mother's. The neck was loose, revealing a heavy red pendant hanging around her neck, nestled against her tanned collarbone. Her long hair, still wet, had been braided and secured around the crown of her head with intricately carved ivory combs.

But it wasn't the physical changes that Shikamaru noticed. Instead he noticed the redness in her cheeks, the smile on her rosebud lips, the eager light in her black eyes. It seemed that his mother, for however brief a time, had managed to banish whatever it was that Suki was running away from.

Shikako followed his son into the kitchen, having just come home from Tsunade's office. He took off his Flak jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. "Hello again, Katsuki-san," he said politely.

Suki caught sight of him and, setting down the stack of plates she was carrying, flung her arms eagerly around his middle. "Hello sensei!"

Shikako looked surprised to find a practically grown young woman attached to him. "What's all this?" he wondered good-naturedly.

"Yoshino-sama says that you hug people you like," Suki explained. She whirled around and advanced on Shikamaru.

He held up his hand to stop her just before she reached him. "You hug the people you _like_," he repeated, shrugging indifferently. "What if I don't like you?"

"Shikamaru!" Shikako chided, sliding into his chair at the table. "Be polite to our guest!"

His son took his own seat, giving Suki a sly sideways smile. "It's alright. She likes it when I'm honest."

There was a knock on the door just as they were finishing up dinner. "Would you answer that Shikamaru?" Yoshino asked, carrying a stack of dirty plates to the sink.

Shikamaru grumbled about it being troublesome, but he got up and disappeared into the entryway. There was the sound of the door opening, two deep voices conversing, and then two sets of footsteps returning. Shikamaru appeared in the doorway with a chuunin in his mid-twenties, with dark hair and a rather vicious-looking scar running across the bridge of his nose. Despite the scar, he had a pleasant smile on his face.

"Iruka has come for Suki," Shikamaru announced, bored.

"The Fifth would like you to visit the homes of the shinobi injured in the fight against the Kusa nins this morning," Umino Iruka explained. "She'd have the healers from the hospital do it, but she thinks it would benefit you more."

Suki rolled her eyes, setting down a stack of empty cups next to the sink. "She probably just doesn't want to waste her manpower," she grumbled under her breath. Yoshino and Shikako pretended not to hear her. "Let me just run and fetch my medical pack and we can be off," she told Iruka.

The sun had long since set by the time Iruka and Suki left the Nara house. They traveled by the light of the street lamps set at measured intervals along the road.

"So you're the Fifth's daughter, right?" Iruka asked as they strolled along in the orange glow of the August evening. "I'm afraid I didn't know she had any children."

"Nobody does," Suki answered shortly, her pack over her shoulder. "It's not really something someone like Tsunade wants to broadcast."

"I'm sure-" Iruka began, but the cold, warning look from Suki stopped his voice in his throat.

The two of them stopped by Chouji and Shino's houses first, where Suki silently tended to their injuries and left medicine for them to take in the morning. Then she and Iruka continued on to the Hyuuga house. When they arrived, a tittering servant informed them that Neji was visiting the main house.

Suki found herself interested. "Why are there two houses?" she wanted to know.

Iruka chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "It's rather a long story," he admitted. "I'm not sure if now is the time to-"

"What else are we going to talk about?" Suki's voice was shrill.

Iruka sighed. It was obvious Suki was used to getting her way. "Well, you know how in many families, the firstborn has the birthright?" he began. She nodded, listening intently. "The Hyuuga family takes that notion to the extreme. The firstborn becomes part of the main family, while any subsequent children become part of the branch family. They take it so seriously that children of the branch family are branded with a curse seal. The main family is taught a hand seal that can destroy the minds of those with the seal."

"That's horrible!" Suki exclaimed. "Why would they want to do that?"

"The branch family's only reason for existence is to protect the main family," Iruka continued. They were nearing the Hyuuga main house now. "But, I think soon they might do away with the curse seals."

Suki frowned and didn't speak again as they climbed the steps and Iruka rang the bell. The door was answered by a stooped servant, who showed them to a parlor at the back of the house.

They found Hyuuga Hiashi, the head of the main family, sitting at a table with Neji, looking over a scroll of jutsu that Suki had never seen before. Hiashi's daughter was curled up on a couch, reading a book. They all three looked up when the servant showed Iruka and Suki into the parlor.

"Ah, you must be the lovely Katsuki-san I have heard about." Hiashi rose to his feet and bowed politely, his long hair falling over his shoulder. He never took his eyes from her face. They were the same odd shade as Neji's.

"It's very nice to meet you, sensei," Suki replied, her opinion of him jaded because of Iruka's story. "I've come to tend to Neji's injured hand."

"Hurry up then," Neji said impatiently, holding out his hand. Suki moved forward to unwrap the bandages around her patient's crushed hand.

Hiashi moved towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. Would you care to join me, Iruka?" The two of them left the parlor, leaving Suki with Neji and his cousin Hinata. Her book was still open, but she was gazing openly at Suki as the blonde spread a salve on Neji's fingers to speed up skin re-growth.

"A-are you new in town?" Hinata spoke up, stammering slightly. "It's just, I-I'm afraid I haven't seen you around before."

Neji was still preoccupied with his jutsu scroll, so Suki had the opportunity to answer herself. "I'm actually just visiting from Takigakure. I'm staying with the Nara family while I'm in Konoha. I'm a healer, so I'm helping tend to the wounds of the shinobi in town."

"D-do you like it so far?" Hinata marked her place in her book and gave Suki her full attention, blushing crimson as she did so. "Konoha, I mean."

"Well, I've only just arrived this morning, so I can't quite say for sure," Suki answered loftily, individually wrapping each of her patient's injured fingers. There was a great deal of damage, but, since she had gotten to them so quickly after the damage had been inflicted, she was going to be able to save the hand. "But it's very different from my home."

Suki finished up with Neji's hand and packed up her things in her medical pack. "Well, I guess I'll see you around."

Hinata jumped to her feet, blushing like mad. "Would-you-like-to-come-to-tea-tomorrow?" she blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Suki paused with her hand on the door.

Hinata took a deep breath. "Would you like to come for tea tomorrow?" she repeated, much slower.

Suki looked at the girl, a strange emotion washing over her. Hinata didn't know who she was, but she was being her friend anyway. That had never happened to Suki before. Her face split into a broad smile, one of her rare genuine affairs that came so infrequently. "I'd love to!" she agreed, extending her hand to the girl. "My name is Yamamoto Katsuki. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata," the dark-haired girl answered, shaking Suki's hand with a relieved smile, as though she'd been afraid that Suki would refuse. "I-I'll expect you at two?" she suggested.

Suki nodded. "I'll be here. Thank you." She smiled again and let herself out of the parlor. She almost immediately ran into Hiashi and Iruka, who were returning from a room down the corridor.

"Ah, are you finished with Neji's hand?" Iruka said, rubbing his hands together. "I guess we'll be off then. We have one more stop to make. Thank you for your hospitality, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi clapped him on the back in a friendly way. "Anytime, Iruka. Anytime. It was a pleasure to meet you, Katsuki-san."

"Likewise," she answered, still wary of the head of the main house.

It took longer to get back across the village to the Inuzuka house. It was nearly midnight when they arrived, later than they had intended to get there. The had to knock for several minutes before the door was opened.

A girl a couple years older than Suki finally came to the door. She had long dark hair and the same markings on her cheeks as Kiba. "Iruka?" she sounded confused. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Nothing's wrong, Hana," Iruka assured her. "I'm sorry we've come so late. Did we wake you?"

Hana shook her head. "No, I was just looking after Akamaru. My mother is already in bed if you've come to see her..." She looked at Suki.

"No, we've actually come so Katsuki-san here can tend to your brother's injuries," Iruka explained, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "We would have been here earlier but we had to make an extra stop at the Hyuuga main house."

Hana smiled. She was a rough-looking young woman, but she was somehow pretty at the same time. "It's no bother at all, of course! Come inside! Please!" She stood aside and they entered the house.

Hana led them to the front room, where Kiba was sprawled across the couch and Akamaru was drinking from a bowl on the floor. "Brother," she said. "You've got some company."

Kiba, who looked half-asleep, opened his eyes and saw Suki. "What are you doing here?" he wanted to know. It wasn't a rude question, simply a curious one.

"Kiba!" Hana sounded appalled. "Be polite to our guest!"

"I'm here to tend to your injuries," Suki explained, going over to the sofa and kneeling down beside it. She unrolled her medical pack. "Take off your jacket, please."

Hana touched Iruka's arm lightly. "I'll make some tea. Would you care to help me?" Her eyes had a suggestive look about them.

Iruka seemed to blush sensationally, but only Hana noticed. "Of course. I'd be happy to." And they disappeared.

Kiba unzipped his jacket and removed it. Underneath was a long-sleeved fishnet shirt. Suki helped him off with that as well.

"So, if you didn't inherit your healing talents from your mother, where did you learn them?" Kiba asked as she carefully cut off the old bandages and disposed of them.

"I learned most of it from reading books," she admitted, wetting a cloth and cleaning the gashes across his chest. "I began studying from Tsunade's books as soon as I could read. I would hang around the hospital in Taki, watching the healers there and asking them questions. Eventually they let me start practicing on patients, and I soon surpassed them."

Kiba winced as she finished cleaning his wounds and squeezed a generous amount of ointment onto her fingers. "But why? If you're such an important person, why would you bother learning anything?"

"Exactly for that reason." Her voice was sharp as she cut new strips of bandages. "I've never been allowed to do anything for myself. There are always servants doing everything, not letting me even lift a finger. This was something I could prove to them that I could do. My father doesn't like it, of course." Her face grew bitter. "He treats me like a porcelain doll that will break if handled too roughly."

Kiba took her hand and pulled her up to the seat beside him on the sofa. "Don't let them," he told her seriously, taking both of her hands in his. "And don't worry. We'll treat you just like one of us."

She sniffed and wiped away a tear she hadn't realized had formed. She was suddenly embarrassed and turned away from him. Suki had never had reason to be embarrassed before.

He looked almost as embarrassed as she did. "You'll find a lot of good friends here in Konoha," he assured her.

"I've never had friends before," she admitted, putting her smile back in place as if nothing had happened. "Not real ones, anyway. They're kind to my face, but I see them look at one another. They all think I'm a spoiled brat."

Kiba shrugged. "Then don't act like a spoiled brat." She gaped at him. "What I'm saying is this: if you don't want to be treated differently, don't treat other people differently. If you treat them like you're better than them, then they'll think you're a spoiled brat."

"But I _am_ better than them. Aren't I?"

He chuckled wearily. "No, you're not," he assured her. "Isn't that the whole point?"

Their conversation ended then because Iruka returned with Hana, who was giggling at something he had just said. They looked at Kiba and Suki, sitting side-by-side on the sofa, Kiba with fresh bandages.

"Well, it's quite late and I'm sure you're all exhausted," Iruka said. "Are you ready to go Katsuki-san?"

"Yes..." She quickly packed away her supplies and slung her bag over her shoulder easily despite the obvious weight. She paused in the doorway and looked back at Kiba, still watching her from the sofa. She was suddenly embarrassed again. "Would it be alright if I came back the day after tomorrow?" she asked.

Kiba grinned, showing his sharp canine teeth. "Of course. I can show you around Konoha if you like."

She smiled back, prettier than he had yet seen her. "Thank you." And she and Iruka left.

"So you're going to come see Kiba again?" Iruka queried in amusement. He knew it wasn't his place to pry, but he couldn't help feeling curious.

Suki nodded, a serious expression on her face. "I think I might like to be friends with Kiba," she explained. "I've never had real friends before."

It was after midnight when Iruka dropped Suki off at the Nara house. All the lights were off inside except one in the entryway and that in the bedroom on the third floor that Shikamaru occupied.

"Thank you for showing me the way, Iruka," Suki told him, giving him a weary smile. "I'm sure I'll see you around soon."

She let herself into the house, turning off the light in the entryway and climbing the stairs. But she bypassed the guest room and ascended to the third floor, where she knocked on the door with the light seeping through underneath.

Shikamaru pulled the door open, giving her a bored look. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"I just need to check on your shoulder injury," she said wearily, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

Shikamaru peered at her face. "You look awful," he informed her.

"I'm just tired," she answered wearily, pulling out ointment and fresh bandages. She didn't speak as she patched him up, and she left without saying anything. Shikamaru found that odd.

He turned out the light and laid down, but he found that the pain in his shoulder was now excruciating. After about ten minutes, he got up and went downstairs to see if he could get some pain medicine from Suki.

He stopped outside her door, his hand poised to knock, when a strange noise reached his ears. He paused and pressed his ear near the door, listening. Inside, Suki was crying. It wasn't just a few sniffles, he realized. She was sobbing uncontrollably, heart-wrenching sobs that she was struggling desperately to keep quiet.

Shikamaru turned around and went back upstairs without any pain medicine. He didn't know the first thing about girls.

**Okay, there's chapter two. Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to beyond-the-oaks for the review! Not only was it the first review (which always holds a special place in my heart), but it was a really good one too! So thank you very much! Also, I've actually started watching the anime. Some of the voices are spot on to me, like Sasuke's and Tenten's, but others (most actually) sound like nails on a chalkboard. Plus they made my two favorite characters, Shikamaru and Kiba, seem really lame. And Shikamaru keeps saying "what a drag" instead of "how troublesome," which also seems lame to me. Ah well. **

He woke up the next morning feeling more exhausted than when he had gone to bed. Not only had he been in a great deal of pain, but he couldn't stop worrying about Suki. It was troublesome, really, he thought to himself. He found he was rather cross.

It put him in an even worse mood when he came downstairs and saw Suki as cheerful as ever, following his mother around the kitchen like a baby duckling, asking about how to steam rice and make miso. He sank down grumpily in his chair.

"What's the matter with you?" Shikako wondered, sipping his tea. "You look awful."

Shikamaru glowered. "I couldn't sleep," he muttered, ignoring Suki when she gave him an inquisitive look. He escaped from the house as quickly as he could.

Suki spent the morning following Yoshino around, helping her clean the dishes and wash the laundry. But Yoshino had to make a shopping trip into the village center, so she bid her young houseguest goodbye and headed off. Suki was left by herself.

That was when it was the worst, when she was alone. Suki found herself sitting in the windowsill in the guest bedroom, her knees drawn up to her chest, crying. She wept over the things she was trying to run away from and for the things she wanted that seemed so far out of her grasp. She rested her chin against her knee and wailed.

The sun was hot as it streamed through the open window, burning the exposed side of her leg. A warm breeze rustled her loose hair, tumbling unchecked over her shoulder, fluttering the loose fabric of her borrowed kimono. Suki stifled another sob.

There was the sound of the front door closing and footsteps on the stairs. Using her kimono sleeve, Suki wiped furiously at the tears in her eyes.

The footsteps paused outside the room, and Shikamaru came through the door. He took in her red, swollen eyes without a word, then crossed the room to her. Suki watched him approach anxiously, fresh tears standing out on her flushed cheeks.

He took her face in his hands, his long skinny fingers tingling on her cheeks. He wiped away a salty tear with his thumb. "Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

A wave of uncontrollable emotion washed over her, and she had to look down at her toes, half-hidden beneath the skirt of the kimono. "No, I'm okay," she lied softly.

He bent down and pressed his lips gently to the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of tropical flowers. "Cheer up, _hime_," he told her gently. "Nothing is as bad as it seems." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before disappearing out the door. She could hear his footsteps ascending the stairs.

Suki touched the place on her cheek where he had touched her, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully. A chirping bird outside her window brought her back to reality, and she noticed the location of the sun in the sky. It was just after one o'clock, so she washed her face and left for the Hyuuga main house.

She had memorized the way from the Hyuuga estate to the Nara residence on her tour with Iruka the night before, but that route had taken her by the Inuzuka house. So it was that she found herself outside the Inuzuka house seven minutes later.

Hana and Kiba were in the courtyard, playing with Akamaru. They waved when they saw Suki, and she explained how she had ended up there.

Kiba laughed heartily, and Suki wasn't sure whether to laugh with him or be offended. "Come on then," he said, whistling for Akamaru. "I'll show you the way to the Hyuuga main house. You can't trust a woman with directions." He waved to his sister and the two of them, followed by Akamaru, set off down the road.

"Thank you for showing me the way," she said, tucking a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

He gave her a surprised look from underneath heavy lashes. "Well, what do you know?" he grinned, showing off his sharp canine teeth. "You're already learning to be polite and friendly!"

She laughed delightedly.

Kiba rested his arms over his head, then quickly dropped them to his side, wincing. "So tell me about Taki," he suggested.

Suki let out her breath expansively, twisting her hair off her sweaty neck. "It's a nice enough place, I suppose. The weather's always nice except in the spring, when the hurricanes come. It's warm enough to swim all year round."

"What, even in the winter?"

"It never gets cold in Taki," she repeated. "But I hate it there. They're always telling me how to dress and when to eat and what to do with my time. They don't let me do _anything_. I'm a certified chuunin, but I never had to pass the exam. I've never even had a real fight."

Kiba gaped at her. "Never?"

"Never." She shook her head.

"Well then, we're going to have to teach you," he grinned, punching her lightly on the arm. "We'll show you firsthand how we do it in Konoha."

"I'd like that very much," she said as they strolled through the crowded streets, passing shops with brightly-colored wares displayed in the windows. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I'm staying with the Nara family. What do you know about Shikamaru?"

Kiba shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "Shikamaru's a lazy bastard," he explained, chuckling to himself. "Unfortunately, he's one of the smartest shinobis Konoha has ever seen. He's got a really high I.Q. He's a genius."

"Seriously? I would never have guessed," Suki said thoughtfully. They had passed through the center of the village and were heading into more residential neighborhoods now.

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah, like I said, he's a lazy bastard. But, even so, he's one of the good guys."

"That's good to know..." Suki said thoughtfully.

They stopped at the entrance to the Hyuuga estate. "Well, have fun at your tea party," he teased. "Will you still be stopping by tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll probably stop by tonight as well, to check on your injuries," she told him, putting her arms around him and inhaling his faintly canine aroma.

He seemed surprised. "What's all this about?"

"Yoshino-sama, Shikamaru's mother, told me that you hug the people you like..." Suki dropped her arms, worried that she had crossed a social boundary. It would have been much easier if she had been taught, as most children had been, what was socially acceptable and what was not.

"In that case..." Kiba grabbed her roughly and drew her to him, enveloping her in his strong arms. He pressed his face to her soft hair, shining like a halo in the afternoon sunshine. "I'm very glad we're friends, Suki." He released her, patting the top of her head like a big brother. "Have fun! Tell Hinata hello for me!" he called after her.

She paused on the porch and waved back, then she rang the bell. She looked over her shoulder again, but he was already gone.

It was Hinata herself who answered the door, her long dark hair tumbling over one shoulder. Her eyes were wide and there was an ever-present blush in her cheek. "Katsuki-san," she exclaimed. "What a pleasure to see you again! Please come in! The others are already here..."

"Others...?" Suki repeated, following Hinata down the corridor towards the back parlor she had once visited before.

Hinata looked alarmed, as though she had offended her guest. "I'm so sorry," she stammered apologetically. "They heard that I'd invited you, and they insisted on joining us. I can send them away if you'd like..."

"No, that's alright," Suki assured her. She couldn't imagine Hinata sending anyone away. "The more the merrier!" She smiled, but there was an unfamiliar, anxious feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. All the people she had met so far in Konoha were pleasant: Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata. What if those she was to meet today were less welcoming? She knew she was lacking when it came to social manners.

There were three girls already in the parlor. They were talking earnestly with one another, but fell silent when Hinata entered with the kimono-clad foreigner.

The eldest, who was perhaps a year older than the others with dark hair and a pleasant, easy-going expression, got to her feet and held out her hand. "You must be Katsuki," the girl said, shaking Suki's hand pleasantly. "I'm Tenten. These are Ino and Sakura. We're all Leaf chuunin."

"It's very nice to meet you." Suki couldn't hide her relief that this girl with her hair in matching buns was so friendly.

The girl with the very long blonde hair, the one with the pinched face, gave Suki a suspicious look. "Is it true that you're the Fifth Hokage's daughter?"

"You're the Hokage's daughter?" Hinata repeated, surprised.

Suki chewed on her lower lip. "Tsunade gave birth to me, that is true," she finally said slowly. "But she is not what defines who I am."

The pink-haired girl, Sakura, cheerfully kicked the pinched-looking blonde on the ankle. "See Ino?" she grinned. "I told you she'd be cool! Now come sit next to me, Katsuki, and tell me what you think about Konoha so far!"

The five of them spent the afternoon quite pleasantly. Suki was amazed to find that she got along with Tenten, who was laid-back, and Sakura, who was more uptight but friendly, spectacularly. Ino was a more difficult person to please, but even she opened up after an hour or so and talked freely.

They were having such a good time that they hardly noticed the sun moving steadily towards the western horizon, casting a twilight glow over the village of Konoha.

**Another chapter down! There's a lot more to come. I've noticed that I have a couple of alerts and favorites for this story: if you like it, please review! It lets me know how I'm doing. On another, completely unrelated note, my son stood up on his own for the first time this week! He's seven and a half months old and he stood up all by himself! I was so proud I had to share it with everyone lol**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, another chapter. Thanks to gnarley for my lone review for last chapter! Reviews really make all the difference, so thank you very much! **

**WARNING: This chapter contains a lemon, so be warned. **

Shikamaru's stomach was grumbling when he came down the stairs to the kitchen that evening, smelling the delicious aroma of sukiyaki. He paused in the doorway, watching his mother form rice balls with her hands.

"Where's Suki?" he wondered aloud, surprised not to see her mimicking his mother.

Yoshino looked up, bits of sticky steamed rice stuck to her knuckles. "She went to the Hyuuga main house to have tea with the older Hyuuga girl, I think. I don't believe she's come back yet."

"Dammit," Shikamaru grumbled under his breath. "She's probably lost. It's a wonder she made it all the way to Konoha from Taki."

Yoshino smiled to herself. "If you're so worried about her, why don't you go get her? I'm sure she'd enjoy an escort home."

Shikamaru grumbled about how troublesome it was, but he drew on his shoes and began the trek across town to the Hyuuga main house. Night had fallen by the time he arrived there, and he rang the bell impatiently.

A little girl, no older than seven or eight, opened the door. She had a grim expression on her face and the trademark white eyes of the Hyuuga clan. "Hello Hanabi, is Katsuki here?" he asked.

Hanabi nodded, but didn't answer. She just scowled at him. Shikamaru groaned. He hated dealing with Hanabi.

"Will you go and tell her that I'm here?" he asked.

Hanabi disappeared down the hall while Shikamaru waited just inside the door. She returned a moment later with her older sister and a gaggle of girls that Shikamaru recognized. He groaned.

"Shikamaru," Ino crooned, draping herself over him with a teasing wink. "Did you come all this way to walk me home?"

"Isn't that Chouji's job?" Shikamaru muttered disinterestedly, shaking her off. "My mother sent me to fetch Suki. She's late for dinner."

Suki twisted her hair in her hands. "We must have lost track of time. I don't want to upset Yoshino-sama."

"She's not upset." Shikamaru was getting exasperated. "She's just worried that dinner will get cold. Can we go now?"

"Of course." Suki embraced Hinata shortly, giving her a soft peck on the cheek. "Thank you very much for inviting me. It was a pleasure to meet you all."

Shikamaru grumbled as they strolled along the lamplit streets of the village towards his house. "I didn't know Ino and Sakura and Tenten would be there."

"I didn't either," Suki replied as they walked, close enough to him that their hands brushed occasionally. "But I'm glad they came. It was nice to meet them."

Shikamaru felt his heart beat uncomfortably fast as their hands touched again, so he shoved them deep into his pockets. "You should've kept a better eye on the time," he complained. "It's troublesome having to come all this way."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you for that. Coming to get me, I mean. It's very thoughtful of you."

"My mother made me," he grumbled, looking away with a troublesome warmth in his cheeks.

Like the night before, Iruka arrived at the Nara house as they were clearing the dishes and took Suki. Chouji and Shino's injuries didn't need tending to, and she had already seen to Neji's hand while she was the Hyuuga main house earlier. That left only Kiba to tend to.

He was waiting up in the parlor, flipping through a book indifferently, one hand tangled in the fur of Akamaru, who was sleeping on the floor beside him. He propped himself up eagerly when Hana showed Iruka and Suki in.

"Hey Suki," Kiba grinned, sitting up and tossing his book aside. "Took you long enough!"

"Yeah, we ate dinner late because I lost track of time at Hinata's," Suki explained, disposing of the old bandages and cutting new ones.

Kiba grinned at her, flashing his fangs. "So how was the tea party? Did Hinata prove entertaining?" he teased.

"It wasn't a tea party." She gave him a dirty look, half-smiling. "And it was lovely. Ino and Sakura and Tenten were there too."

Kiba let out a low whistle. "That's one way to overwhelm you," he commented. "Ino and Sakura together can be frightening."

Suki tied off the bandages and stifled a yawn. "Well, there you go, Kiba." She yawned again. "I'll stop by again tomorrow."

He hugged her at the door, giving her a pinch on the cheek. "See you tomorrow," he called after them as she and Iruka headed back to the Nara house.

"Goodnight, Katsuki-san," Iruka bid her farewell when they reached the house.

Suki waved goodbye and went into the house, turning off the light in the entryway as she locked the door behind her. She was exhausted, she discovered, but she had one more patient to tend to.

She climbed the stairs up to the third floor, feeling the worn, smooth wood underneath her bare feet. The fourth step creaked, so she tread lightly on it. The third floor landing was dark save for a sliver of light that crept from underneath the closed bedroom door.

Suki pushed the door open without bothering to knock, her medical pack hanging negligently from one hand. She found Shikamaru sitting on the end of his bed, perusing a scroll covered in unfamiliar kanji. Suki guessed that he was, despite his lazy attitude, a truly sensational shinobi.

He gave her a flat, bored look over the top of his scroll. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"Don't be such a baby," she told him, exasperated, kicking the door shut with her bare heel. "I just need to take care of your shoulder injury." She crossed the room and kneeled down at the foot of his bed, unrolling her medical pack. "Now just close your eyes and relax."

He gave her a suspicious look, but he tossed his scroll aside and leaned back on his hands, closing his eyes. He sighed heavily, wondering if her heady scent would ever cease to arouse him.

Suki's hands were trembling as she unzipped his Flak jacket and took it off, folding it neatly and setting it aside.

Shikamaru's heart began to beat a little faster, his entire body tensing. His breath caught in his throat problematically.

It took a great deal of effort to calm her shaking fingers as Suki gripped the edge of his black shirt and pulled it over his head. She had never done anything like this before.

Shikamaru's hands grew sweaty, and he gripped the blankets almost painfully. All that was left was his long-sleeved fishnet undershirt.

Moving gently, she pulled off that last article and left him bare-chested. He was taking great care to control his erratic breathing.

There was a moment of silence where she rummaged around in her medical pack. Then, much to his surprise, Shikamaru felt her full weight on his lap. She crawled right onto him and wrapped her long, tan legs around his waist.

He felt the fabric of his trousers stretch taut, almost painfully. He tried to protest, mortified, but she quieted him with a soft finger to his lips. "Shh," she warned.

He tried to relax, feeling her warmth press against him, but it was difficult. He had never been more attracted to anyone in his life. It wasn't his fault she was completely out of his league. She began to massage his shoulders, spreading ointment across his wound as she did so.

Then, ever so softly, Suki brushed her lips against the sensitive skin at the nape of his neck. An electric shock seemed to course through his body, and the strain in his pants grew tighter. His body tensed underneath her.

He was horrified that he couldn't resist her; he knew he should. He knew his hardness was pressing into her thigh, but she didn't seem to care. She nuzzled his neck while she massaged his shoulders, each touch sending him to new, dizzying heights. She kissed across his jawline and across his cheek. She stopped just at the corner of his mouth, not letting their lips touch.

Just when Shikamaru thought he couldn't take it anymore, when he wanted her so badly it hurt, she got up. "Alright then," she said calmly, gathering up her things. "Goodnight."

He gaped at her, his breath coming in rough gasps now, as she headed for the door. He moved faster than lightning, grabbing her by the wrist to stop her. "What, you're just gonna work me up and leave?" he demanded, his voice hoarser than he'd have liked.

She gave him a wickedly innocent look from underneath her lashes. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Shikamaru felt himself snap, his desire for her overwhelming his rationality. He slammed her into the wall, rather harder than was necessary, and crushed his mouth to hers with bruising force. Her back caught the switch in the wall, turning the lights in the room off, and the medical pack dropped, forgotten, to the floor.

He grabbed her rear and lifted her right off the floor, his long fingers digging into her flesh. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clutching at his bare shoulders desperately as he kissed her hungrily, needy.

Using one hand, he grabbed her arms and held them above her head, pinning her body between his and the wall. Her breasts, barely hidden behind the soft material of his mother's kimono, pressed against his hard chest. With his free hand, he explored her body through the fabric.

She let out a small whimper of pleasure, unable to restrain herself, and what little control he had left disappeared. He kissed her harder, filled with carnal lust. He grabbed her thighs, holding her to him, and stumbled across the room to the bed, where he dropped her on her back on the mattress.

He stood over her, a shadow in the darkness, his chest heaving. He felt like he'd just fought a major battle, but the throbbing in his groin had only intensified.

Suki lay on the bed, looking up at him, her cheeks flushed, dizzy from the emotion. The kimono had half-fallen off her shoulder, revealing her delicious tanned skin.

He advanced on her, not thinking anymore. Just doing. He propped himself above her, not touching but close enough to feel her warmth radiate against his bare chest. Their eyes locked momentarily, and then, with a precocious smile, she raised her head a fraction of an inch to press her lips to his.

His long fingers fumbled with the sash on her kimono, undoing the knot. Then he ripped it off her, leaving her bare beneath him. He pressed his lips to hers fiercely, a low growl somewhere in his throat, exploring her. One hand gripped one of her breasts, which were perfectly shaped despite being on the extremely small side, while the other slid lower.

Suki was even more desperate now, unaware of what she was doing. She struggled with the buttons on his pants, finally managing to work them off with her bare feet. They were quickly discarded and the two of them were laid bare to one another.

She entangled her fingers in his hair, which had come loose from its bindings at some point, and clung to him. Her hips bucked of their own accord against his, the tip of his rock-solid member grazing her flower bud.

He grabbed her face in his hands, their bodies pressed quite close together now, and put his lips to her ear, tugging the soft flesh gently between his teeth. "Is this what you want, you spoiled little _hime_?" he demanded in a gravelly voice wrought with sensual desire.

Her face had taken on a pinched, needy expression, and she nodded. "Oh god, Shikamaru..." she breathed, gasping for air. "...Please..."

She didn't have to ask him twice.


	5. Chapter 5

It was just before dawn when Suki awoke. A misty, blueish light crept cautiously through the glass in the window, sending ever-larger patches of light across the wooden floor. She found herself naked in Shikamaru's bed, one of his arms wrapped around her bare waist possessively. He was snoring very quietly, his free arm thrown above his head in the abandonment of sleep.

Every part of Suki's body ached from the previous night, but it was nothing to what was whirling around in her mind.

She disentangled herself from the sheets and drew on her kimono, which had been lying, rumpled, on the floor. She found her medical pack still by the door, her supplies dwindling dangerously low by this point, and crept quietly back to the guest room on the second floor, avoiding the fourth step. She was relieved to hear reassuring snores coming from Shikako and Yoshino's bedroom.

Suki found her way into the bathroom again, though she was still quite clean. She sank into the hot water and chewed on her bottom lip, the way she did when she was thinking. There was no doubt in her mind that she had been attracted to Shikamaru from their very first encounter in the woods, before he even knew who she was. Not only did she find him physically appealing, but his devil-may-care attitude and obvious intelligence enticed her. And, even though she hadn't gone to his room expecting her first sexual experience, she had to ask herself if she had gone through with it because of genuine emotion or because it was another way for her to rebel against the boundaries her father had set.

What worried her most was that she couldn't answer.

When she climbed out of the bath and returned to her room, she found that Yoshino had laid out her own clothes on the bed, which she hoped didn't look too obviously not slept-in. She drew on the familiar clothing and went in search of her hostess.

When Shikamaru awoke an hour and a half later, his entire body ached with the feeling of Yamamoto Suki. Even her scent lingered. He rolled over to look at the place where she had fallen asleep the night before. Her spot was empty, the sheets cool to the touch; she had been gone for a while already.

He sat up, running his fingers wearily through his hair. He couldn't believe someone as smart as he was supposed to be had got caught up with silly emotions. Suki was possibly the most important person he had ever met, and here he had gone and fucked her. If anyone found out, he was probably going to get in big trouble.

But, even with those warnings in his head, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Even if he never got to feel her hot flesh against him again, he would always remember it.

With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru got out of bed and drew on his clothes, still lying where Suki had left them the night before. He splashed some cold water on his face and went downstairs, smelling breakfast from all the way on the third floor.

Suki was standing at the stove, diligently checking on the rice, determined not to let it burn. She no longer wore his mother's old kimono. Now she was dressed in a baggy black top with a loose neckline and a short hem. One side hung off her shoulder, revealing her amulet nestled between what little cleavage she had. She wore a low-riding skirt, with one side reaching her knees and the other hardly covering her hip, over a pair of knee-length fishnet shorts. Her hair had been partially braided, secured with her ivory combs.

What Shikamaru noticed most, however, was a bruise on her revealed shoulder, where he had slammed her into the light switch the night before. He frowned, thinking how troublesome it was to have sex.

"You slept awfully late this morning," Shikako commented, cupping his hands around his teacup and bringing it to his lips. "I was about to come get you myself."

Shikamaru slid glumly into his chair. "Yeah, I was tired. Probably still recovering from that last mission."

"I hope you slept well," Suki said, a wicked twinkle hiding in her eye, as she brought the bowl of steamed rice to the table.

He glowered at her in response.

"Are you planning on training today, Shikamaru?" Shikako asked as they ate. "You should take Katsuki-san with you. I'm sure she'd like to see how we do things in Konoha." He winked at her cheerfully.

Shikamaru frowned. "She doesn't want to watch me train."

"Actually," Suki spoke up, giving him a hopeful look. "I'd love to see how Konoha shinobi differ from those in Taki. That is, if I won't be imposing."

So it was that Suki and Shikamaru set off for the village gates after breakfast. They walked in silence for a moment, awkwardness hanging over them like a viable cloud. Then Suki broke the tension and linked her pinkie finger with his.

"You should be more careful," Shikamaru warned grumpily, not looking at her. It might be easier, he thought, if he didn't look at her directly. "Do you want to let my parents know what went on last night?"

"What? You mean when we had sex?" she asked lightly, swinging their hands between them. "I'm not going to tell them. Besides, I don't think they'd care anyway. We're adults."

He chuckled appreciatively to himself, allowing her to link even more of their fingers. "Well, I'll give you one thing," he told her. "You sure know what you're doing in the sack."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You really think so?" she exclaimed. "That was my first time."

He had to look at her then. "You're shitting me."

"Nope." She shook her head, her dimples appearing. "I've never even been allowed to be alone with a boy before this. I thought you'd know what you were doing."

"Well, you thought wrong," he muttered testily. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not to be thought of as well-experienced.

Suki seemed pleased by this revelation, knowing they had explored together. She stood on her tiptoes and pulled him to her for a kiss.

"Hey now," he said, rather good-humoredly. "None of that girly, kissy shit."

"Oh, so kissing is girly now, is it?" she teased. "I'll tell you what: let's have a fight. If I win, I get to kiss you whenever and wherever I want. And if you win, I won't. How does that sound?"

He smirked at her. "Fine, I guess. You'll never win anyway." And he took off running. Suki didn't hesitate to follow hot on his heels.

It didn't take them long to reach Shikamaru's favorite training ground: the very same woods outside the village where the two had first met. They didn't speak as they moved, and Shikamaru didn't hesitate to send a handful of shuriken her way when they were safely enclosed in the trees.

Suki dodged the shuriken easily and retaliated with the four shuriken she had concealed about her person, which he dodged equally as easily. Then it was down to hand-to-hand combat.

When it came to taijutsu, they were pretty evenly matched. Shikamaru was the better strategist and had more actual combat experience, but Suki was faster and had been trained more thoroughly. They moved so quickly among the trees that anyone watching wouldn't have been able to keep up. They were flashes of color among the dark green foliage, the dull thud of limb against limb as they parried one another's attacks.

It looked like the fight might go on for a long time. Then, as luck would have it, Shikamaru caught Suki between two attacks. He grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the nearest tree.

Then, instead of declaring himself the victor like he'd planned, he lifted up her uneven skirt and proceeded to make love to her right there in the forest.

When they'd finished, they lay together at the base of the tree, tangled in their clothing and each other's arms. Suki looked up at him, her head nestled against his chest as his breathing slowed. "So does this mean you win, or I win?"

He laughed appreciatively.

When they had finally cooled down, they got to their feet and drew on the clothes that had been discarded during their little "romp."

Suki picked up her discarded ninja headband, which she wore around her upper right thigh, and tied it back in place. "I'm hungry," she announced, tossing her loose hair over her shoulder in a straight blonde sheet.

"We could go for ramen," Shikamaru suggested distractedly. "That's not very expensive..."

Suki grimaced. "Cheap date," she muttered under her breath.

They held hands as they walked towards the village, but stepped apart when they came in view of the enormous gates leading inside. Even though there hadn't been a clear victor in their mock battle, they didn't touch.

It was hot in the village, where there were no trees to shade them, and the people out in the streets hurried along without saying much. Because it was already past lunchtime, the Ichiraku Ramen bar they stopped at was nearly deserted. An older couple sat along one wall, and a duo of young men about their age sat at a booth near the window.

"Hey, Shikamaru," one of the two boys waved them over. He had disastrously messy blonde hair and intensely blue eyes, and he was grinning broadly. He had a smooth, easy-going smile that appealed to Suki at once. She had never met someone with quite a smile.

Shikamaru led the way to the booth, his hands shoved lazily into the pockets of his trousers. He slid into the booth next to the blonde boy, which left Suki to sit next to the second young man. This one was tall and dark-haired, with serious eyes and a grim mouth. His loose white shirt was partially open, revealing a sliver of pale, muscular chest.

The dark-haired stranger gave Suki a once-over with his cold eyes, his hands folded neatly on the table before him. "Who is this?"

"This is Katsuki," Shikamaru muttered, not particularly liking having to join Sasuke and Naruto. He'd never particularly liked Sasuke, but things had gotten worse between them since Sasuke's return to Konoha six months before. "She's staying with my family while she's in Konoha."

Naruto, the blonde, leaned forward with a suspicious look on his expressive face. "So you're a foreigner, eh? Where are you from?"

"Takigakure," Suki answered loftily, signaling to the waiter that she was ready to order.

Naruto pursed his lips over his teeth. "Takigakure...where is that again?"

"Nice try," she smiled dryly, tapping her fingernails on the tabletop. "Taki's exact location is a well-kept secret. Every shinobi knows that."

He shrugged and leaned back into his seat. "Ah well. Thought I'd at least try."

Suki seemed to find his honesty and lack of disappointment amusing, because the corners of her mouth twitched in a semblance of a smile.

Shikamaru watched her discreetly from across the table, his chin propped lazily on his hand. Though she'd only been in Konoha for a few days, he could already see a difference between this Suki and the one fresh from Takigakure.

"So what are you doing in Konoha?" Naruto inquired cheerfully, slurping at his tea loudly. He seemed to be a very loud individual. "It's not like it's a tourist village or anything."

Suki chewed on her lower lip for a moment, silently debating whether or not to tell the truth about her lineage. Then she sighed and blew a piece of blonde hair off her tanned forehead. "Tsunade is my mother."

Sasuke, sitting beside her, stiffened in surprise.

"The old hag?" Naruto demanded incredulously, leaning across the table eagerly. "I didn't know she had a daughter!"

Suki grimaced, accepting the bowl of ramen the waiter had brought, and pulled apart her chopsticks precisely. "It's not really something Tsunade wants known."

"But you'd think she'd at least tell me, the stupid old bat," Naruto grumbled to himself.

Suki paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. "Why would she tell you?" she wondered in surprise. "Are you and Tsunade close?"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto grinned, giving her a cheeky thumbs-up sign. He pulled a necklace out from under his jacket, a crystal necklace that Suki recognized at once. "She even gave me this."

Though Suki liked this blonde-haired chuunin very much, she felt an unflattering stab of jealousy. It wasn't that she had expected Tsunade to give the necklace to her; it was a Konohagakure heirloom, after all. But it gave her a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that Tsunade had gotten close enough to this boy to give him such a priceless gift when she'd never paid much attention to Suki at all.

"Are you okay?" Naruto seemed to notice the change in the disposition and her frozen chopstick hand. Shikamaru's gaze narrowed.

Suki gave herself a little shake and set her chopsticks back in her bowl. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied smoothly, putting the smile-guard back in place. Shikamaru didn't believe her, but then again, he was a skeptical man.

When they had finished eating and the dishes had been cleared away and the bill had been paid, Shikamaru leaned back in the seat and stretched luxuriously. "I have to get some actual training done this afternoon," he told Suki lazily. "Can you manage to entertain yourself for one afternoon?"

"Of course I can," Suki said stiffly, unused to being teased. "I'll go visit Kiba this afternoon."

Shikamaru frowned and let his feet fall back to the floor with a thump. "Kiba?" he repeated. "Why are you going to go see him?"

"We're friends," Suki answered loftily, rather pleased to hear a hint of jealousy in his voice. "I like spending time with him. I can hang out with other people than you, you know."

He frowned at her.

"Do you even know how to get to Kiba's house from here?" Naruto teased, grinning that imbecilic smile that Suki had come to associate with him already.

She pursed her lips over her teeth. "Well, now that you mention it, no I don't. I don't think I could find my way through the village. Do you want to show me the way?"

"Me?" Naruto repeated, then shook his head. "I would, but I've got to meet the pervert sennin for more training."

"Pervert sennin?" Suki repeated under her breath.

Sasuke broke his long-standing silence. "I can show you the way."

Shikamaru and Suki both stared at him. Shikamaru felt a suspicious rage flare somewhere deep within. He didn't know why, but he didn't want Uchiha Sasuke anywhere near Suki. Maybe it had something to do with the strange gleam in his black eyes. On Suki's part, she found Sasuke a little frightening and wasn't quite sure she wanted to be alone with him. After all, until a few days ago, she'd never even been allowed alone with a boy.

But there wasn't a polite way to decline the offer after she'd just asked Naruto. "Thanks," she mumbled.

So they parted ways, with Shikamaru and Naruto heading in one direction and Sasuke and Suki in the other. They walked in silence, close but not touching. Sasuke never said a word. He didn't seem to feel the need to fill the silence with useless chatter, and Suki couldn't say she wasn't grateful. She wouldn't know what to say to him.

She took the opportunity to study him. He was tall, much taller than she was, with shaggy black hair and strange black eyes. He was broad-shouldered and lithe, and he moved with a strange grace that was oddly enthralling.

Then he turned his dark gaze on her and she had to look away quickly, embarrassed. He smiled coolly.

It seemed to take forever to reach the Inuzaka house, but they finally did and Sasuke bid her a quiet and grim farewell. Then he strode away without looking back.

Suki watched his retreating back until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She shivered a little, rubbing her arms. That guy gave her the creeps.

She shrugged it off and rang the bell. A long moment elapsed, and no one came to the door. Impatient, she rang it again.

Finally there was the sound of footsteps in the hallway and the door swished open. Kiba stood there, dressed in his baggy black pants and a long-sleeved fishnet shirt. He was rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Suki?" he blinked into the bright, hot August afternoon.

She smiled prettily, her hair tumbling over one shoulder. "Hello, Kiba. I thought I'd stop by and say hello. Did I wake you?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered, still rubbing at his eyes. "I was taking a nap since I'm still not allowed to train yet. Come on in." He stood aside, rubbing at the bandages underneath his fishnet shirt.

Suki followed him into the dim interior of the house, a welcome relief from the heat outside. "Where are your mom and sister?"

"Hm?" He glanced over his shoulder. "My mom is away on a mission and Hana's at the veterinary clinic where she works."

"So I met some new shinobi at lunch today," she explained, sitting down on the sofa and looking at a decorative scroll hanging on the wooden wall.

Kiba wasn't paying a whole lot of attention as he set a tray of tea on the table. "Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"Naruto and Sasuke," she explained.

He looked up in surprise. "Sasuke?"

"Mm," she nodded, picking at a loose string on her skirt. "Yeah. He even showed me the way to your house afterwards."

"He did, did he?" Kiba poured two cups of tea and brought one to her, sitting next to her on the sofa. "Hmm."

"What?" Suki demanded, accepting the cup of tea and sipping it through pursed lips.

Kiba shrugged, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "I don't know. He's a weird guy."

"Weird how?" Suki felt another tremble travel down her spine.

Her host shrugged again. "Sasuke is the last of the Uchihas," he explained. "When we were just kids, Sasuke's older brother Itachi slaughtered the entire family."

"Slaughtered?" Suki repeated stupidly.

"Yep," Kiba answered, setting his tea down on the table. "Then, when we were about twelve, Sasuke left Konoha in search of his brother. To get revenge, you know," he added, seeing her expression. "He finally killed Itachi a few years ago. He didn't come back to Konoha right away, though. The rumor is that he traveled around the world, training and learning new jutsus. He only came back to town about six months ago. He gives me the creeps."

"He is pretty creepy," Suki agreed, wondering what Sasuke had been thinking during their walk from the ramen bar to the Inuzaka house.

Kiba grinned suddenly. "And Naruto... well he's a character, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I really enjoyed meeting him and-" Suki began.

He interrupted her with another of his wicked, fanged grins. "Don't even think about Naruto," he warned her. "He's got the hots for Hinata."

"Really?" Suki got suddenly very excited. "So they're dating? They're a couple? They're so cute together!"

That wasn't the reaction Kiba had been expecting from her. He chuckled awkwardly. "No, they're not together. I just said that cause I thought you had the hots for him or something."

"Naruto?" Suki laughed openly, setting her empty tea cut down. "Please. It's not Naruto that I like, you-" She stopped suddenly, alarmed at what she had said.

Kiba grinned cheekily. "Ah, so there is someone, is there? Well, who is it? You can tell me."

"Nope," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not telling you anything."

"It's Shikamaru, isn't it?" he suggested.

She frowned. "Is it that obvious?"

"Eh, it's just because I get you," Kiba grinned. "But it's okay. Like I said before, Shikamaru is one of the good guys."

Suki let out an explosive sigh. "I'm really glad to hear you say that."


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize for the slow updates. The lack of reviews is a little daunting. Also I've been really busy with school, work, and taking care of my family. But here is the next chapter. If you like it, please review. If you have this story alerted or favorited, please review. Thanks! **

August slowly faded into September, bringing with it cooler weather. The colors around Konohagakure began to change, setting the forest ablaze with flaming golds, reds, and oranges. Suki settled into her life at the Nara household easily, finding herself a niche that she fit into. She spent her time following Yoshino around the house, assisting her with menial chores like cooking and washing and cleaning, the type of things she had never been allowed to do back home. When she wasn't with Yoshino, she was listening to Shikako tell stories about his previous missions. She was pretty sure that some of the tales were make-believe, but she loved to listen to them anyway. She spent whatever time she could sneaking away with her clandestine lover, and whatever time was leftover was spent with Kiba, who had come to be her closest friend in Konoha besides Shikamaru.

The Nara's son was already in the kitchen one morning when Suki came down, perusing a scroll with information regarding his latest mission. He glanced up briefly when she entered the kitchen, noting appreciatively yet again how subconsciously graceful she managed to be.

Their relationship was a strange one, he had to admit. They kept it a secret because they both knew they'd be chastised greatly, but they couldn't stop seeing each other. It was impossible by this point. Even in such a short amount of time, he had come to depend on her and she on him.

"Morning," she chirped, tossing her sheet of blonde hair over one slightly-bared shoulder. Her loose-fitting top never could seem to stay on properly.

Yoshino glanced over her shoulder at the counter, where she was making tamagoyaki for breakfast. "Oh, good morning, Suki-san," she said pleasantly, reaching into her apron and drawing out a tightly-rolled scroll marked with the official seal of the Hokage. "This was delivered for you half an hour ago. I think it's from your mother."

"My mother?" Suki repeated uncertainly, accepting the scroll into trembling hands. What did her mother want with her? Surely it was too early to send her back to Takigakure. She'd only been in Konoha for a little over a fortnight. Then what could it be? Perhaps Tsunade wanted to see her, to talk to her.

Hardly daring to hope, Suki slit the seal with her fingernail and unrolled it. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents and Shikamaru, who had been watching closely over the top of his own scroll, saw the disappointment cloud her eyes. It didn't stop there, however. Big, fat teardrops welled up in the corners of her eyes and threatened to escape down the smooth planes of her cheeks.

"E-excuse me," she mumbled and, clutching the crumpled parchment in her hand, she turned and fled up the stairs. Her heavy footsteps could be heard thudding across the floorboards, and then there was a small bang as she slammed her door shut.

Yoshino frowned, turning back to her cooking. She had hoped it would have been good news...

Shikamaru sat staring at his scroll for a long moment, looking but not seeing anything. He desperately wanted to follow her, to care for her, to make sure she was alright. But how would he explain his concern to his mother? After all, he and Suki played their parts well in front of his parents and other people. No one suspected their secret relationship.

In the end he couldn't stand it anymore. He shoved his scroll deep into the pocket of his trousers and discreetly slipped out of the kitchen. He took the stairs two at a time and let himself into her bedroom on the second floor.

Suki was on the floor underneath the window, her knees drawn up to her chest. She was weeping openly, loud, agonizing sobs. It was a wonder they couldn't be heard downstairs in the kitchen.

Even though he knew she cried herself to sleep every night, she didn't do it in front of him. In fact, though she'd opened up considerably to him, she didn't like him to know about her emotional weakness. The fact that she was crying so hard now meant that something had really upset her.

He crossed the room in just a few strides and sat behind her, pulling her into his lap in a sort of strange embrace. He pressed his lips into her soft hair and wiped away the tears and let her cry herself out without words.

When her sobs subsided into sniffles and hiccups, Shikamaru pried the crumpled parchment from her fist and smoothed it out so he could read it. It was written in methodical, slanting handwriting that clearly did not belong to Tsunade. It apologized to Suki for not having spent time with her thus far, and offered her a free trip for herself and friends to the hot spring situated about two hours outside of Konoha.

"S-she didn't even bother to write it herself..." Suki sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Shikamaru carefully rolled the parchment back up. "Don't worry about it," he said finally, nestling her back against his chest comfortingly. "I'm sure she's just really busy. How about we go to the hot spring? It'll be a nice little vacation. Plus, we can get a big group together and there won't be any chaperones."

She managed to smile through her tears. "Will you be back from your mission by next weekend?"

"I'll make sure to be," he promised her. "It's only a C-class mission, so I'll be back in time."

She seemed somewhat placated by his promise, so she managed to sit up and wipe away the remainder of her tears. "Okay. I'll invite everyone."

"We'll have a good time," he told her, climbing to his feet. "I'm going to go back downstairs. You should wash your face before you come."

Yoshino was bringing the tea pot to the table when he strode back into the kitchen. She didn't even bother to glance up at him. "How's Suki?"

"She's fine," Shikamaru muttered, thinking it would be better to admit he'd gone to check on her than to lie. He'd never been good at lying anyway.

"Hmm," she murmured, and that was it.

When Suki came into the kitchen a few minutes later, following Shikako, she was as fresh-faced and cheery as usual. Shikamaru was amazed at how adept she was at putting up that barrier.

"Now don't forget that you promised to be back by this weekend so we can go to the hot spring," Suki said firmly when she left the house with Shikamaru after breakfast. She was going to go around the village and invite her friends along on the trip, while Shikamaru was heading to meet Ino and Chouji for their mission.

He looked around quickly, then pecked her lightly on the lips. "I won't. Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

Suki watched him walk away with a dejected feeling somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't pleasant. She'd never meant to become so attached to Shikamaru, but it hurt to see him with his back to her.

Shaking off her gloomies, she squared her shoulders and set off for the house of her nearest friend: Kiba.

"A visit to a hot spring?" he repeated when she told him. "Yeah, I suppose I can go. I still can't go on missions yet, so I won't be missing anything important here. Who else are you going to ask? I'll go with you."

The two of them made their round through the village, inviting those that Suki had gotten to know fairly well during her stay. When they found Naruto, the last on their list, he was sitting on a bench with the dark-haired Sasuke, discussing something animatedly.

"Hey dummy," Kiba greeted Naruto cheerfully, his fangs flashing in the bright morning sunlight.

Naruto's brilliant blue eyes flashed. "Who are you calling dumb?"

Kiba ignored him. "The Hokage is sending Suki to a hot spring this weekend, and she wants you to come along with us."

Sasuke pointedly looked away during this exchange, not wanting to be rude.

Suki sighed to herself. She really didn't want to invite Sasuke, as he gave her the creeping heebie-jeebies, but it would have been in poor taste to invite Naruto right in front of him and not extend the invitation.

"You're welcome to come along, too, Sasuke," she said sweetly.

He turned his cold eyes on her, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips that stopped just short of his eyes. "Thank you. I think I may."

_Shoot_, she thought to herself.

**Sorry it's short. I meant to keep this updated much more quickly but it's difficult when there's barely any feedback, positive or negative. But thank you to the few that have reviewed this story. It makes it worthwhile XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much to ILoveKellanForever for the awesome review. It seriously made my day XD**

**For all of you who have either favorited or alerted this story, please review. It lets me know how I'm doing. I don't think I'd care as much if nobody was reading this, but I can tell from the amount of alerts and favorites that you are. So please review and make my day! And have a happy Thanksgiving! **

Everyone seemed quite excited about the prospect of a weekend away from Konoha and taking a pleasure trip. They'd all managed to weasel out of any missions since Tsunade knew they were all looking forward to it, but it was the evening before they were supposed to leave and Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino hadn't returned to Konohagakure.

Suki lay in bed that night, staring at the starry sky outside her wide window. It was stifling hot in the guest bedroom on the second floor; she'd kicked off all her covers and lay there in a simple cotton shift that clung to her damp skin with perspiration. She couldn't sleep, but she couldn't blame it entirely on the heat. She'd gotten used to sleeping with Shikamaru, and this past week without him had been torture.

She rolled onto her side, turning her back to the window, and let out an explosive sigh. What if he didn't get back in time? They were leaving early in the morning, after all. She didn't want to go on the trip if he wasn't going to be there with her, even if Kiba and the others were along to entertain her.

It was pointless, she thought to herself miserably, climbing to her feet. She crept quietly from her room and climbed the stairs to the third floor, skipping the steps she knew from experience were extra squeaky.

Shikamaru's bedroom was dark and deserted, as she had known it would be. She crossed it, not having to turn on any lights, and crawled into the perfectly made bed. It smelled faintly of her lover and enveloped her in that comforting smell. She would just lay there and wait for him to get home...

When she woke again, early morning sunlight was streaming through the open window, casting a rectangle of light across the wooden floor. Shikamaru was passed out in the bed beside her, one of his arms draped around her protectively.

The sense of relief she felt at his presence was almost overwhelming, and a smile crept across her round face. But then she came to her senses and shook him awake roughly.

"What?" he demanded groggily, irritably.

"You were supposed to be back days ago," she told him pointedly, folding her arms over her chest. "What happened?"

He rolled over, turning his back to her. "We ran into trouble, but it's not a big deal. I got back in time to go on your vacation."

"Well, we have to get up _now_ or we'll miss the vacation," she pointed out. "So hurry up and get out of bed!"

Having said this, she climbed out of the bed herself and sneaked back down to her bedroom, expertly avoiding Yoshino and Shikako, both of whom had already risen for the day. She slipped into her room and quickly changed into her day clothes. She found that, now that the time had come and Shikamaru had made it back safely, she was really quite excited about this stupid, silly little trip.

Picking up her pack, she returned to the third floor to check on her companion. He was still lying face down in the bed, snoring rather loudly.

Suki huffily stomped across the room and whacked him on the shoulder with one of the pillows. He didn't even budge. "Shikamaru," she whined, changing tactics. "You have to get up! We're going to be late meeting everyone else!"

His only answer was a snort, and he rolled further away from her.

"Fine then," she said loftily, swinging her pack up onto her back. "I guess I'll just have to have fun without you. See you when I get back."

He groaned audibly but finally got out of bed and drew his clothes on. Suki smiled to herself.

"So who all did you manage to invite on this trip?" Shikamaru wanted to know once they were on the deserted path leading down towards the village gates, holding hands since no one was around.

Suki swung their hands between them cheerfully. "Oh you know, Hinata and her cousin Neji-"

"Neji agreed to come to a hot spring?" Shikamaru interrupted, marginally surprised. "Strange. He never seemed like the hot spring sort of person."

"He's not," Suki agreed. "But, since Tenten is coming along, Hinata suggested that I invite Neji as well. And he agreed."

"Hm," Shikamaru grunted, but didn't comment further. "Who else?"

Suki kicked a pebble with the toe of her ninja sandal. "Well, since I invited Neji and Tenten, I had to invite Rock Lee. And since I invited Rock Lee, I had to invite Sakura and Ino."

Shikamaru groaned to himself, but the blonde didn't seem to notice.

"I invited Chouji too, of course," she continued obliviously. "And Shino and Kiba. Oh, and Naruto and Sasuke too."

He gave her a frustrated look. "Sasuke? You invited Sasuke?"

"It was an accident really," she explained, exasperated. "We were inviting Naruto and Sasuke overheard us and it would have been rude not to invite him along as well."

Shikamaru grumbled to himself for a bit longer, but he couldn't be mad at her over that. After all, it was amazing that she could even fathom the concept of rudeness.

They stepped apart as they came into view of the gate, where a large crowd had already gathered, waiting for them. Sakura and Ino were arguing about something, rather heatedly. Instead of trying to break up the fight, Chouji and Lee were standing by idly, letting them duke it out. Tenten and Neji were standing nearby quietly, not touching and not saying anything. Shino and Kiba were standing with Hinata, laughing and joking good-naturedly. Sasuke was standing rather moodily by himself, arms crossed over his shirt, not speaking.

Sakura caught sight of Suki and Shikamaru, and she immediately forgot about Ino and allowed a broad smile to spread across her pretty face. "Suki!" she shouted, waving exuberantly. The others caught sight of the duo and gathered their things together.

"Is everyone here?" Suki asked, looking around at the assembled group. "Are we missing anyone?"

"Naruto isn't here yet," Hinata spoke up, quiet but firm.

Sakura sighed heavily, tossing her short pink hair over one bare shoulder. "He's always late to everything."

As if right on cue, Naruto skidded into view, red-faced and out of breath. "Sorry," he panted. "I overslept and-"

"If you think you're going to ruin this vacation for us, you are horribly mistaken, you-" Ino began her long-winded lecture. Hinata, standing next to her, blushed crimson and looked down at her sandal-clad feet.

"Hey," Suki cut Ino off sharply, using her most intimidating spoiled princess voice. "If you're just going to argue this weekend, I don't want you coming. Any of you. Understand?"

Ino sullenly nodded, but Hinata gave Suki a shy, thankful little smile.

After that first little bump in the road, the twelve of them set out on the path outside of Konoha towards the hot spring. It proved to be a beautiful day, clear and cloudless. The sky was an unreal color of blue above them, casting a clear light down on them. It was warm too, but not so warm as to be uncomfortable. It put them all in a pleasant mood as they strolled along.

After about half an hour, Suki found herself walking next to Sasuke. Aside from Naruto, he didn't seem to have any friends. The others all tolerated him pleasantly enough, and Sakura seemed almost embarrassed by him, but they weren't friends.

Suki glanced behind her, where Shikamaru was walking with Chouji and Ino. They walked separately so no one would suspect them, but Suki wished he was by her side instead.

She glanced at Sasuke again, who hadn't spoken a word to her since taking the place beside her. He stared ahead of him with that same flat stare, his mouth pressed into a grim line and his pack slung negligently over his back. Suki felt suddenly like she could sympathize with him; he was _lonely_.

"Have you ever been to a hot spring before?" she said conversationally, breaking the silence between them. All around them, their companions chattered noisily and joked and laughed with one another.

He turned his dark eyes to her in mild surprise. "No," he answered simply. "I've never had time for such things."

"I've never been either," she volunteered, picking at the fishnet fabric of her half-gloves. "We don't have them back home."

He didn't say anything else, so she fell silent again, inwardly defeated. Well, at least she had tried. It was more than she would've done a few weeks ago. She shrugged to herself and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Why did you come to Konoha?" he surprised her by asking.

She glanced at him, feeling a rivulet of sweat drip down her spine. "I got bored," she said haughtily.

He chuckled, a strange sound coming from such a grim person. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but don't make up such a stupid lie."

Suki felt her face grow hot.

"I can understand why you'd want to leave, though," he continued, staring out at the horizon with a strangely calm expression. "Being the daughter of the Hero of the Hidden Falls and the Hokage of Konohagakure must be trying. They must put a lot of responsibility on your shoulders."

She looked down at her feet, scuffing along the dirt path. "Yes."

"What a bother," he muttered. "It's not healthy for a child to have so much expected from them."

He sounded like he spoke from experience, Suki thought to herself, studying his hard face. Then he glanced at her and gave a little smile. Embarrassed to have been caught staring, she quickly looked back down at the ground.

Behind them, sandwiched between Chouji and Ino, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed in dislike.

It was another hour and a half before they crested the final hill and looked down into the little valley where the hot spring was located. It was a three-story wooden building with a wide front porch and an exquisite flower garden overflowing with the bounty of summer and fall. The scent of sweet-smelling flowers reached them even atop the hill. Behind the house, they could just make out a series of fenced-in enclosures that housed the actual springs.

"Let's go!" Ino suggested, taking the lead. She led the way down the final stretch of road, through the lush garden, and onto the wide porch, where she squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.

It was opened seconds later by a withered old woman in a drooping kimono. She was practically ancient, Suki thought. Her skin hung loosely off her face and neck, and her white hair was pulled back in a severe bun at the nape of her neck. Her minty green kimono looked like bits of loose elephant skin clinging to her bones.

"Good morning," she greeted them in a voice that was as old and crinkly as she was. "You must be Katsuki-san. The Hokage informed me that you'd be coming."

Suki stepped forward, leaving Sasuke with Naruto. "That would be me, sensei," she explained.

"Please, come inside," the old woman offered, standing aside so they could enter the building.

The front hall was long and narrow, with an open staircase winding its way all the way up to the third floor, where the bedrooms were situated around the balcony-like walkway. Intricate wall-hangings and scrolls decorated the walls, and live plants were hung in pots about the room, bringing the lovely smell of the garden into the house.

"Your rooms are located just up these stairs," the old woman explained, looking so frail that she couldn't go up the stairs herself. "The baths are at the back of the house, and the dining room is just this way. Please, get settled in and lunch will be served at noon." She bowed alarmingly low for such an old lady and shuffled off towards the kitchen.

Because there were so many of them, they had to double up when sharing rooms. There was an odd number of girls, however, so Hinata offered to share with her cousin Neji. That left Suki to share a room with Tenten, which she didn't mind. The slightly older woman had a laid-back manner that was easy to get along with.

"I haven't been to a hot spring in ages," Tenten explained when they were safely in their room, unpacking their bags.

Suki kicked off her sandals, leaving them beside her sleeping pallet. "Is it really as hot as it sounds?"

Tenten laughed, undoing the buttons on her shirt and shrugging out of it. Her skin was delicately pale beneath. "It is, but you'll get used to it. You just can't stay in the baths for a very long period of time."

They finished undressing, pulling their complimentary kimonos over their naked frames. The kimonos were a pale blue color tied with a navy sash, identical in every way, but they were very soft.

The two girls took their towels and tromped down the stairs towards the baths at the back of the house. The signs posted there were very clear, so they took the left door and entered the women's bath.

Ino, Sakura, and Hinata were already there, sitting half-submerged in the steaming water. Pale Hinata's face was already rosy, and Ino had draped herself over one of the boulders so her bare back was exposed.

"How's the water?" Tenten queried, shrugging out of her kimono and hanging it on one of the hooks by the door.

Sakura pushed her damp pink bangs off her forehead. "It's hot, but very nice."

Suki watched rather anxiously as Tenten got into the bath, then untied the sash on her own kimono. The air was warm and damp around her as she bared herself and hung up her kimono. She stepped nervously towards the water and put a testing toe in.

"Just take the plunge, Suki," Tenten chuckled.

Taking a deep breath, Suki stepped down into the bath. It was hot, she couldn't deny that. Almost too hot to stand. But, after she had submerged herself up to the shoulders for a few minutes, she found that it actually felt quite nice. She felt her sore, tense muscles relaxing and she leaned back against one of the boulders.

"See? Isn't it nice?" Sakura beamed, water droplets clinging to the ends of her short hair. "So, Suki, have you met anyone in Konoha that you fancy?"

Suki had to think of a diplomatic way around this question. "Well, I haven't really been here that long," she explained. "I don't think I know anyone well enough to know if I fancy them or not."

"What about Shikamaru?" Ino's look was slightly probing. "I mean, you spend an awful lot of time with him, right?"

Suki tried to keep her panic from showing. "Shikamaru is like a brother to me," she lied with a delicate chuckle.

"You spend a lot of time with Kiba, too, don't you?" Hinata, who was on the same team as Kiba and Shino, asked innocently.

Suki sighed. Was this where this conversation was going? "Kiba and I are just friends, I promise. To be honest, I don't even know who is single and who isn't. Why don't you tell me?" At least this type of gossip was sure to keep them distracted for a decent amount of time.

"Most of the guys are single," Sakura explained. "You know, Shino and Kiba and Neji and-"

"Neji?" Suki interrupted, looking from Sakura to Tenten. "I thought he was dating you, Tenten."

The dark-haired girl laughed loudly. "No, not officially," she admitted. "I suppose it might head there one day, but he's so serious and intense all the time. We work well together as a team, but our personalities clash sometimes."

"And it's not exactly true that Shino and Kiba are single, either," Hinata spoke up in her quiet, timid voice.

The other three turned to stare at her.

"Well, you see, Shino has been sort of dating this girl named Akari," the shy brunette explained.

Ino screwed up her mouth thoughtfully. "That's the dark-haired girl with the tattoos on her arms, right? The one a year younger than us? The really good acrobat?"

Hinata nodded.

"What about Kiba?" Tenten pressed. "I thought for sure he'd never settle down with just one girl."

Hinata blushed. "Well, they're not officially dating either," she mumbled. "But he's been talking to one of Akari's friends, Chizumi."

Sakura frowned. "She's the tall one with the huge boobs, right?"

Hinata's blush deepened, but she nodded.

"Well, I guess they're not single, then," Sakura waved it off. "That still leaves Chouji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sasuke."

Suki glanced at Hinata, who had blushed even more at the mention of Naruto's name.

"Well, what's the deal with them?" Suki inquired. "Are they dateable?"

Sakura seemed to think about it. "Well, Chouji's a little on the heavy side-"

"Are you superficial or what?" Ino grumbled bitterly. "Chouji may be a bit porky, but he's a really good guy. He's super loyal and he's a hard worker. Sometimes."

"I was going to say that," Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance. "He's lazy and eats all the time, but he is a really good friend."

"And Naruto?" Suki prompted.

Sakura let out her breath explosively. "He's a character, that's for sure. He's super loud and obnoxious all the time, always spouting off about how he's going to be the next Hokage and whatever." She smiled. "He's a pretty good guy, too, underneath it all. If you can get past the obnoxiousness, he's a good friend too."

"And Sasuke?"

The pink-haired girl's face clouded over for a moment. "Sasuke is... probably not the best guy to date. And I can say that because I was one of the girls who had a crush on him the entire time we were growing up."

Suki found herself intrigued.

"What happened?" she demanded. "I mean, I heard about the whole revenge thing with his brother."

"It was just a mess," Sakura explained. "He was gone for years and never bothered to let any of us know he was okay, even though we were supposed to be friends. And even before he left he was sort of cold and detached. It was part of the mystery. But after he came back to Konoha, it was like he wasn't even a human being anymore. He could kill anyone without a second thought. I know we're shinobi and that's what we strive for, but it can't be healthy.

"And Shikamaru-"

"Shikamaru's the laziest ass in the world," Ino interrupted, laughing. "And he's selfish. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

Suki felt her temper flare. "I'm sure he isn't like-"

"I think I know him better than you," Ino said, rather nastily. "We've been on the same team for five years. You've only been here for two weeks."

Sakura shot Ino a warning glance.

"Besides," Ino continued. "Even if Shikamaru did get with a girl, he'd only be using her. That's just the type of person he is. You're better off going after Chouji or Naruto."

Suki didn't know what to say. Was Ino telling the truth? Was she an idiot for having trusted him so completely? She would get in a lot of trouble if Tsunade or her father found out about their affair...

Tenten saved her from having to answer by climbing to her feet. "It's really hot now, and I'm hungry. It's almost noon. Let's go get some lunch."

Suki followed the others out of the bath numbly, drying off with her towel and dressing in her plain kimono. She had never trusted anyone as much as she trusted Shikamaru, but Ino _had_ known him for five years. She would know.

The boys had already gathered in the dining room when the girls entered, taking their places around the low table. Their hostess had laid out an infinite number of delicious dishes, along with several pots of tea. The old lady and her cook, a middle-aged woman in a frumpy dress, brought out the final dishes and excused themselves.

They chattered pleasantly about nonsense things as they ate the delicious meal. Except Suki. She tried to be cheerful and get involved in the conversation, but she felt as if her stomach had fallen out. Shikamaru tried to catch her eye a few times during the meal, but she was always looking down at her plate.

After the meal had been eaten and the dishes cleared away, they had the whole of the afternoon stretching out in front of them. It was a beautiful day filled with endless possibilities. Tenten decided that the girls should go on a hike.

"We hiked all morning on the way here," Ino complained as they exchanged their kimonos for real clothes. "Why do we have to hike more?"

"We came here on the road," Tenten answered firmly. "There's no nature in that. We're going to go into the woods. I heard some beautiful flowers should be blooming around here this time of year."

So they bid the boys farewell and started out for a male-free afternoon. Sakura and Ino chattered pleasantly at first, but they soon fell silent and the girls enjoyed the beauty surrounding them.

It was dimmer and cooler under the protective canopy of the forest. The air around them was alive with sounds: birds chirping and crickets cricketing and small woodland animals burrowing around in the brush. Butterflies fluttered by lazily on warm breezes, and the grass under their feet was lush and green.

Even surrounded by all the bounty of the forest, Suki couldn't properly enjoy it. She knew she shouldn't be so bothered by what Ino had said. After all, Ino was childish and catty and spiteful. Suki knew this because it was the type of person she herself was. Or at least the type of person she _had_ been.

But it bothered her nonetheless.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked. They were walking side-by-side through the forest, following the louder and more eager girls at a discreet distance. Hinata's face was kind and concerned, her voice soft.

Suki contemplated confiding in her soft-spoken friend, but she decided against it at the last minute. "No, I'm fine," she assured her friend with a smile. If Shikamaru just wanted to use her, she could do the same.

When the twelve of them assembled for dinner, Suki looked around at all the boys to see which one she would use as her bait. She clearly couldn't go after Neji, Shino, Kiba, or Lee, since they were all involved with someone. And, even though Sakura had said Naruto was fair game, Suki wasn't going to do that to Hinata.

That left Chouji or Sasuke. Though it would probably hurt Shikamaru more if she went after Chouji, she didn't think that the Akimichi boy would betray his best friend like that. Both Ino and Sakura had said he was a loyal friend. That left Sasuke.

He would do, she decided, sitting down next to him at the table. Shikamaru had already expressed that he wasn't particularly fond of the Uchiha heir. She just hoped Sasuke wouldn't get the wrong idea. She just wanted to use him, after all, not get involved.

Her plan worked, as she'd known it would. She flirted incessantly as the meal progressed. When the food had been cleared away and they moved into the parlor, she chose a seat beside Sasuke again.

She kept one eye always trained on her lover, watching for anything out of the ordinary. As the evening progressed, darkness falling outside the windows and the temperature dropping a few degrees, he definitely got angry. She could see him clenching his jaw and balling his hands into fists at his side. He certainly did not like where the evening was headed.

The hour grew late and still the twelve of them lounged in the parlor, spread out across sofas and large mats on the floor, drinking tea and growing rowdier the later the hour grew. Suki moved progressively closer to Sasuke, ignoring whatever reaction he might have had. One eye remained on her lover, watching his irritation and frustration grow.

Eventually it got to be too much for him. He got to his feet and left the room without a word, a vein throbbing visibly at his temple.

"What's his problem?" Naruto paused to wonder, but then he launched back into his joke and everyone's attention was diverted.

Suki frowned. Maybe she had gone too far. She excused herself quietly to Sasuke and followed her lover up to the bedroom he was sharing with Chouji on the second floor.

She paused outside the door and knocked softly. "Shikamaru?" she called.

"Go away," came the lazy reply.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped into the room, which was dimly lit by a single lamp. Shikamaru was sitting on the windowsill, not looking at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she wheedled, stepping closer.

He snorted derisively. "As if you don't know. I'm not stupid, Suki. I know you were doing it on purpose. But I don't know why."

She felt her own anger rear its ugly head once more. "Why? Well it would have been nice to know before we got together that you screwed everything in a skirt."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, momentarily stunned by the absurdity of her accusation. "I already told you I'd never been with anyone before you."

Suki felt suddenly defensive. "Ino told me that you were selfish and didn't care about anybody but yourself. She said you'd just be using any girl you got involved with."

Now it was his turn to be angry. "And you believed her?" he burst out. "Ino's a lying cow."

"How would I know?" she practically shouted at him. They were standing face-to-face now, both red and angry. "She's known you a lot longer than I have!"

Shikamaru's eyes flashed. "God, you really are just a spoiled brat."

He realized the second the words left his lips how much they had hurt her. Her eyes widened and the color in her face drained. She took a step back, her lower lip trembling as tears threatened to come.

"I'm sorry, _hime_," he apologized at once, reaching for her hand. "I didn't mean it..."

She jerked her hand out of his reach, turned on her heel, and left the room without a word. She made her way back to the parlor where the others were still lounging, sure that he wouldn't follow her there. But he did follow her.

"Suki," he kept saying as they crossed the parlor. Sasuke, Ino, and Kiba looked up at them. The others were too engrossed in the rather amusing impersonation Naruto was doing on top of the table.

Suki whirled around and slapped him in the face. The sound was loud enough to distract the others. It echoed around the cozy room, and an eerie silence fell. Mortified and hurt, Suki dashed out the other door, out into the garden. Shikamaru stood rooted to the spot, stunned more by the action than by the pain.

Kiba half-rose from his cushion between Shino and Hinata. "Hey, what's going on?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his cheek. A red hand-print had already formed there. Squaring his shoulders, he followed her out into the garden.

He found her perched on one of the benches underneath an awning of lazily blooming flowers. She was sitting with her knees drawn to her chest, sniffling to herself. He crossed the garden and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed. "I didn't mean to hit you."

He looked up at the stars dotting the sky and sighed explosively. "It's not the hitting that bothers me. I don't understand why you'd believe what Ino said. You _know_ me, _hime_."

"I know," she admitted, wiping at her eyes furiously. "It's just... the way she was talking about it made me feel as though she knows you better than I do."

Shikamaru put his arm around her shoulders and she didn't move away. "Well, Ino and I have been on the same team for five years," he admitted. "But you and I have gotten closer in a few weeks than Ino and I have ever been."

"Really?" For some reason, it made Suki feel better.

He smiled and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Of course. But from now on, if you have a problem, don't go flirting with someone else. Especially Sasuke. You don't want to get on that guy's bad side."

"I'll keep that in mind," she answered, snuggling closer.

**Okay, so I had fun with this one. I hope you enjoyed it too. **

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much to Lady Phantasmagoric and Nonexistent Entity for their lovely reviews! Keep it up and I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

The remainder of the weekend passed relatively smoothly. It was an easy matter for Suki and Shikamaru to smooth over their little fight, passing it off as a sort of sibling argument. Only a few, like Kiba and Ino, suspected the truth, and that was alright with them. Ino had no proof and Kiba was good enough friends with Suki that he wouldn't blab to anyone.

So, about midday on Sunday, the twelve of them packed up their belongings, bid their ancient hostess farewell, and began the trek back to the village. It was just after dusk when they arrived, tired and hungry and ready for their own beds.

Eventually it was only Suki, Shikamaru, and Kiba on the road. They stopped at the crossroads where they would part, and Kiba gave the other man a stern look before ruffling Suki's hair and retreating towards his own home.

"What was that all about?" Shikamaru grumbled, slipping his arm around her waist now that they were alone.

She smiled to herself. He really was the jealous type after all. She couldn't believe she'd taken Ino's catty chatter so seriously. "He's just worried about me, that's all."

"Worried about getting in your pants, maybe," her lover grumbled under his breath. "Seriously, Kiba's got a bit of a reputation as a heartbreaker around here."

Suki laughed. She could see Kiba moving from girl to girl like lightning. She almost felt sorry for the girl he was currently interested in. "I don't think you have to worry about that," she assured him. "Kiba's sort of dating this girl named Chizumi. That's what Hinata said."

Shikamaru frowned. "Chizumi? Really?" he demanded. "Isn't that the one a year younger than us? The one with the huge hooters?"

"I only know her name," Suki said, frowning at all the talk about breasts. "All I know is what I heard from Hinata."

They were nearing the Nara house now. The roof peeked over the tops of the trees, so Shikamaru drew his girlfriend to him and planted a sweet, sensuous kiss on her lips.

"Ah, welcome home!" Yoshino was there to greet them when they got inside, wiping her hands on her usual apron. "How was your trip?"

"It was a lot of fun," Suki answered, making sure to keep an appropriate distance between her and her lover.

Yoshino smiled prettily. "Wonderful. You'll have to tell Shikako and I all about it over dinner. I'm preparing something special to welcome you back! Why don't you go get cleaned up before? I'm sure your trip tired you out."

Shikamaru caught Suki round the waist and drew her into his chest as they ascended the stairs. "We could take a bath together..." he teased in a low, sensuous voice, his breath hot on her neck, sending an erotic shiver down her spine.

"Shikamaru!" Suki was mortified, not only by the fact that Yoshino might overhear them but by the way her body reacted so suddenly to his voice. "Your mother is home!"

He chuckled in a gravelly voice and released her rather reluctantly. "It's alright," he warned her with a wicked smile. "I'll have you all to myself tonight."

Suki blushed in anticipation. Even though they'd spent the entire weekend unsupervised at the hot springs, they hadn't had the chance to be _alone_ together the entire time. There were always interruptions and friends popping up unexpectedly. And sneaking out in the middle of the night had been completely out of the question because Tenten was a very light sleeper. She woke every time Suki got up to go to the bathroom.

It was perhaps an hour and a half later when Shikamaru and Suki reassembled in the kitchen. Shikako had just arrived home from the village center and Yoshino was bringing the platters of takikomi gohan to the table.

"Oh, before I forget," Yoshino said as she took her place at the table, pouring cups of green tea for everyone. "The Okuma-kabuto Festival is taking place at the end of the month in the village to the north of Konoha. The Hokage wanted Suki to experience it, since they don't celebrate it in Taki. Can you take her, Shikamaru? The Hokage will relieve you of your missions for the week, she said."

Shikamaru looked at his mother for a long moment. An entire week alone with Suki? Away from interruptions and nosy friends? "I guess so. How troublesome," he muttered under his breath.

Across the table, Suki struggled to keep her smile under control.

It seemed to take forever for the weeks to pass, bringing with it the time of the Okuma-kabuto Festival in the neighboring village. Suki found herself alarmingly impatient. Shikamaru was often out with his teammates, completing missions. Now that Kiba had fully healed, he, Shino, and Hinata were often gone as well.

As the only chuunin in her circle of friends that wasn't allowed on a real mission, Suki found herself alone more often than not. She took to wandering the streets, learning her way through the village and chatting with the shopkeepers.

And that was how she met Sato Mitsuko.

Mitsuko was a chuunin a year younger than Suki, thin and sensual without even trying. She had masses of reddish-brown hair pulled back into a frizzy ponytail and a demanding demeanor that even Suki wasn't able to resist.

She'd injured her ankle and wasn't allowed on active duty when Suki came across her at the flower shop in town owned by Ino's mother. Mitsuko was arguing rather loudly with Ino's mother about the price of a purplish lily.

"I can't lower the price," the older woman exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "The prices are set!"

"That price is outrageous!" the girl practically growled, the two small braids hanging down by her ears swinging.

Ino's mother caught sight of Suki, standing unobtrusively in the doorway. "Ah, Katsuki-san," she sighed in relief. "How can I help you?"

"Why does she get special attention?" the girl spat, turning a glowering gaze towards Suki.

Suki drew herself up to her full height, which was no taller than Mitsuko. "I happen to be the daughter of the Hokage of Konohagakure and the Hero of the Hidden Falls, Yamamoto Katsuki."

The other girl looked at her with pursed lips. She was a stunning beauty, despite her unpleasant attitude. "I'm Sato Mitsuko," she finally said, holding out her hand.

Suki was taken aback by the girl's abruptness, but she shook the hand anyway. Mitsuko wore fishnet gloves from her wrists to just above her elbow, and she wore her ninja headband wrapped around her upper left arm. "Nice to meet you?"

"Indeed." Mitsuko seemed to have forgotten about her anger. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."

Suki yanked her hand out of the other girl's. "Wait just a minute," she snapped. "Since when did I agree to go anywhere with you?"

Mitsuko rolled her eyes and slung her arm round Suki's shoulders. "Neither of us are allowed to have any fun, right? So let's go find some fun together!"

And that was how they became friends. After that day, Suki and Mitsuko were practically joined at the hip while her other friends were away.

"I don't know how you're friends with her," Shikamaru complained one evening. He'd just gotten back from his last mission before their trip to the neighboring village, and they were laying in his bed.

Suki snuggled closer, the soft fabric of her sleeping kimono pressed against his bare chest. "You don't even know her," she pointed out lazily, feeling the warm sweet sensation of sleep rush forward to claim her.

"I know _about_ her," Shikamaru muttered. "She was the year below us in the Ninja Academy. She was always loud and obnoxious."

Suki grinned into his shoulder. "You're probably only saying that cause she turned you down when you asked her out. She's gorgeous, after all."

"That's not it," he snapped, and she could tell she'd hit the mark. She chuckled and bit him on the shoulder affectionately.

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead gently, his lips warm and moist and familiar. Suki couldn't believe she'd gone her whole life without knowing that feeling. "Are you excited about the festival?"

"I guess so. It's about the harvest, right? Where priests from the shrines put on a parade?" she queried sleepily. "I'm more excited about spending time with you. You've been gone so much since we got back from the hot spring."

He stroked her hair gently, sensing that she was losing herself to slumber. Then, with his arms still wrapped protectively around her, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to sleep too.

They woke up early the next morning so Suki could sneak back down to her bedroom before Yoshino and Shikako woke up, as she did every morning. After a quick breakfast, Suki and Shikamaru bid Yoshino and Shikako farewell and left the house with their packs slung over their shoulders and an eager feeling in their breasts.

Suki's good mood remained until the sun began to set beyond the western horizon and she realized just how tired she was. "How much further?" she whined, breaking the companionable silence that had fallen between them hours earlier.

"Not much," he answered, pointing in the distance. A vague glow was visible in the orange light of sunset as the town lit their lamps for the evening. "We should be there in another hour or so. Then we can get something to eat and find a place to stay."

Suki didn't answer, the grumbling of her stomach more than enough of a reply. It hadn't been that long since she'd made the strenuous trek from Taki to Konoha, yet she was already completely out of shape. Was it because she followed Mitsuko around all day, being lazy? She decided at once to train regularly with one of her friends when they returned to Konoha.

The village, once they reached it, proved to be roughly the same size as Konoha. It was filled with quaint buildings and shops whose windows were filled with strange things on display from earthen cookware to brightly-colored clothing. The entire village was lit with Chinese lanterns hanging from strings between the lampposts, and the sound of music filled the streets as merrymakers celebrated the upcoming festival a little early.

Though he'd never been to this particular village before, having never had any need to travel anywhere unless it was on a mission, Shikamaru located an inn without difficulty. It was already booked to almost maximum capacity due to the festival, but, with the money Tsunade had given them, the pair were able to purchase a single room on the third floor of the inn.

"You know, I think the old hag probably intended for us to get separate rooms," Suki pointed out dryly as they climbed the steps with their packs.

Shikamaru grinned wickedly. "But if we got separate rooms, I couldn't protect you as easily. What if something were to happen?"

Secretly Suki couldn't wait for _something_ to happen.

They settled into their room, which was a little bare but functional, and went back to the lobby of the inn in search of food. They were both quite hungry by this point, having eaten their lunch about midday along the road.

Suki was almost beside herself with excitement as they returned to their room after dinner had been eaten and paid for, knowing full well what was in store. It seemed like it had been ages since she had last felt his hands on her.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Shikamaru grabbed Suki by the shoulders and slammed her into the wall, stifling her cry with his mouth on hers. He kissed her deeply, sensuously, weeks of pent-up desire fueling him. He ripped furiously at her garments, possibly ripping them. Neither cared.

**I know this is a decently pointless chapter, but it was fun. Bleh. Mitsuko is one of my favorite creations, and I don't think I did her real justice in this chapter. Hopefully her character development through the next several chapters will be enough. Please review, even though it's a short chapter! (P.S. my baby boy will be one year old next month! I can't believe it! Time flies so fast!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to my reviewers and to everyone who reads this story! Here's the next chapter, just in time for Christmas!**

Though it was still a few days until the actual Okuma-kabuto Festival, festivities in the village were in full swing. The streets were crammed with villagers and visitors alike as Shikamaru and Suki wound their way through them, looking for suitable festival-wear. Their shinobi clothing was a little out of place among the peaceful villagers.

"What about this place?" Shikamaru suggested, stopping outside of a promising-looking shop advertising festival kimonos and hakama.

Suki, holding his hand since they knew no one there, dragged him past with her nose in the air. "No way. Those aren't cute enough."

"Who cares how cute they are?" Shikamaru grumbled. "You're never going to wear it again anyway. How troublesome..."

She finally agreed to stop at a store with brightly colored cloth in the windows, where she took approximately forty-five minutes to select one kimono.

"I am never going shopping with you ever again," Shikamaru complained when they left the shop with two new kimonos for the festival.

Suki smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just, back home in Taki, I've never been allowed to shop for myself before. I guess I got a little carried away."

It was possible it was a lie, but Suki knew Shikamaru in a way that no one else did. He couldn't even pretend to be mad at her after she said something like that.

He slipped his arm around her waist, drawing her close to plant a kiss on the top of her head.

Suki leaned into his embrace, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the village around her. She was happy, truly happy. It was a brand new emotion to her, one she found that she really enjoyed.

It was unfortunate that it had to end.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm uploading two chapters at once because the last one was so short. Just as a quick reminder, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters from the manga/show. Thanks! **

The two of them spent the days leading up to the festival trying new foods and experiencing the local culture, but most importantly they spent the time together. It was pleasant not having to worry about nosy friends or parents interrupting them when they were most intimate.

Before they knew it, the day of the Okuma-kabuto Festival was upon them. The sound of loud drums and gongs filled the narrow, crowded streets of the village. A stooped figure draped in cloth, wearing a long-nosed demon mask, led the parade. Banners wafted in the breeze above the crowd, and sake was passed around generously.

"I don't understand," Suki slurred as the afternoon gradually melded into evening. The two of them had been sandwiched into the middle of the parade like a couple of sardines, but even the lazy and whiny Shikamaru didn't complain. "What is the Festival _for_?"

"It's to celebrate the harvest from the field and sea for the past year," Shikamaru explained. Though he'd had just as much to drink as Suki had, he was better at holding his liquor. "The priests are thanking the gods."

The blonde hiccuped and tripped as another barrel of sake was passed liberally through the crowd.

Shikamaru studied her for a moment, a half-exasperated half-amused smile playing on his lips. He slipped his arm around her waist and guided her carefully out of the crowd. Even though the sun had set, the streets were well-lit by the torches and lanterns of those celebrating.

"What's wrong?" Suki hiccuped, giving him a surprised look.

He pressed his lips gently to her forehead, inhaling the sweet, zesty scent of spices and tropical flowers that always seemed to accompany her. "You seem to be a bit inebriated," he pointed out. "And they're going to start the fireworks soon, anyway. I'm going to go get you some water. Stay put until I get back," he warned.

The chuunin gave her another brief kiss before sidling off into the crowd to find some water.

Suki let out her breath explosively and leaned against the wall behind her. She'd never been drunk before. If her father knew, he would throw a fit. He did that often when it came to Suki, she thought bitterly, running her fingers through her loose blonde hair.

She was rather out of the way of the revelers, half-hidden in the shadows of the buildings, so she was startled when someone approached her.

He was nearly twice her age, dressed in an androgynous kimono much like her own but with an unpleasant leer on his face. He was desperately in need of a shave, and a long, nasty scar ran down the length of his jaw. He carried a short-bladed knife in his fist.

"Alright, girlie," he grinned, baring his yellow teeth. "Hand over your money and you won't get hurt."

Suki frowned. Was she just a random target or had this unintelligent thug singled her out because of her lineage? It was ridiculous of him to come after her, really. Even if she hadn't passed a test to become a chuunin, she had been extensively trained from a very young age. Even if her screams would be drowned out by the drums and gongs and shouts of festival-goers, he had picked the wrong target.

"I don't even have any money," she slurred in a bored tone of voice, sounding alarmingly like her lover. She even giggled a little.

Her laughter seemed to offend her would-be attacker. He screwed up his face into an ugly sneer, showing even more of his teeth as if he were an animal.

"Come at me then," she challenged, staggering forward a step or two. The world around her wobbled precariously and she gave her head a little shake. "I'm a shinobi."

"Hah," the man spat, lurching forward.

The first of the fireworks had started when Shikamaru returned, smoothly stepping between Suki and her attacker before she could even defend herself. Using his special shadow jutsu, he stopped the man in his tracks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shikamaru demanded over his shoulder, directing his question to his trembling lover. His voice was shaking it was so furious.

Suki managed to shrink back against the wall. She'd never heard him so angry before, even when they'd fought during their trip to the hot spring. "I didn't do anything!" she protested. Her voice quavered, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the situation or the sake. "He just came up and tried to rob me."

"You can't egg these bastards on," Shikamaru growled, sucker-punching the thief in the gut. The older man doubled over, clutching his stomach and heaving violently. The dark-haired shinobi released his shadow, and the man crumpled to the ground, groaning loudly. "You're _drunk_."

Suki felt her own temper flare up. "I can take care of myself, you know," she snapped irritably, hands on her hips. "I'm a chuunin just like you!"

"Shut up," Shikamaru growled, his eye flashing dangerously.

For once, Suki obeyed. She felt shocked out of her sake-induced stupor. Her lover had never spoken to her like that. _No one_ had ever spoken to her like that.

Shikamaru's hand flashed out and gripped her wrist so tightly that it almost hurt. "Come on," he snapped, half-leading half-dragging her back towards the hotel.

Suki's heart was pounding. "B-but what about the fireworks?" she managed to stammer.

"You can watch them from the window in our room," came the disgruntled reply, the grip on her wrist never loosening.

Suki fell silent, her lower lip trembling threateningly. Why was he so angry with her? It wasn't like she had invited that creep to threaten her.

Ignoring the cheerful man at the desk in the lobby, Shikamaru dragged Suki up the stairs to their room on the third floor. There, he finally released his hold on her wrist and slammed the door shut. Suki rubbed the red mark on her wrist, scowling to herself.

He pushed the window open, lighting the darkened room with the fireworks exploding outside. Then he sank down heavily, sulkily, on the mattress with his back turned to her. She could tell by the hunch of his shoulders that he was still upset.

She sank down on the other end of the mattress cautiously, her heart pounding. It was an altogether new feeling. She'd never cared before if someone was angry with her, but things were different with Shikamaru. She had already put too much into their relationship without realizing it to be able to feel detached at a time like this.

He didn't look at her, just stared stonily out the window at the blues and greens and oranges exploding loudly in the velvety blackness of the sky. Suki sat on her knees expectantly, but he didn't speak.

She frowned, the silence overwhelming in the face of the thundering fireworks outside. "Shikamaru," she began.

"Don't," he interrupted her coolly, still not even looking at her. "Just don't say anything."

"I don't even understand why you're so angry!" Suki grumbled, rolling back onto her bottom and wrapping her arms around her knees.

He finally turned to her, an angry, incredulous sort of expression on his face. "What do you mean, you don't understand?" he demanded furiously. "Some creep tries to steal your wallet while you're drunk and you encourage him! Of course that makes me angry!"

"I could have taken him," Suki muttered.

"That's not the point," Shikamaru snapped, turning back to the window with his jaw set fiercely. "You shouldn't put yourself in such dangerous situations. Something might happen, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

Suki stared at him, her arms still wrapped around her knees protectively. Then she tried to laugh it off. "What do you mean, you don't know what you'd do without me?" she chuckled. "You'll go right back to whatever it was you were doing before I came to Konoha."

The glare he gave her was enough to send shivers down her spine. "You know I can't do that. It's not like I go around falling in love with girls every day."

She suddenly felt quite strange. No one had ever told her they loved her before, not her mother or her father or any of the numerous nurses she'd had as a child. She found that, despite everything, it was rather nice to hear. "Do you mean that?" she asked, knowing that she should let it lie but not being able to curb her curiosity.

"Of course I do," he grumbled, looking embarrassed now.

She inched closer to him on the sleeping mattress. "I'm glad," she told him sincerely, resting her body against his.

He sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I'll have to kill you. You know that, right?"

"Of course," she answered, snuggling closer contentedly.

**There you go for chapter 10! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review for me! As a Christmas present maybe? Lol. Well I hope everyone has a happy holiday (and a happy day off if you don't celebrate anything)! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the slow updates. My little boy turned one on the 14th! Isn't that a hoot? I guess he's not so little anymore! And my fiance and I finally set the date for our wedding: June! I'll be a college graduate and a blushing bride in no time! But in all that excitement, I will, of course, continue with this story. I actually really like this one. **

**I'd like to give a special thanks to lady phantasmagoric, nzinga, and thatsafreakenriot for their lovely, awesome, amazing reviews! It totally makes my day! **

Shikamaru's birthday was the week after he and Suki returned to Konoha. Yoshino planned a grand dinner to celebrate. Her son protested, of course, but Yoshino's word was law in that house.

"I didn't know your birthday was the twenty-second of September," Suki pointed out as they meandered through the village that afternoon, trying to escape the madness of Yoshino's cooking fervor.

Her lover shrugged noncommittally, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trousers. "You didn't ask. Ino's is tomorrow."

"You were born a day apart?" Suki frowned. Ever since their trip to the hot spring at the beginning of the month Suki had distrusted Ino.

Again he shrugged. "I guess that's why everyone always expected us to get together or something." He paused and gave her a sloppy grin. "Don't worry, Suki. You're the only girl for me."

"Thanks," she muttered dryly, bumping her shoulder against his but not daring to touch him more intimately. "So how old are you?"

"Eighteen," he answered, tilting his head back and inhaling the sweet autumn air. "Your birthday was right before you came to Konoha, right?"

She nodded, kicking a pebble with the toe of her sandal. "Yeah, it's in July."

Shikamaru glanced around. The streets were pretty crowded at that time of day, drowning out their conversation. "You know," he said in a low voice, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Since it's my birthday, I think you should give me a little present."

"Oh?" Suki's interest piqued immediately, a devilish smile turning up the corners of her lips. "And just what kind of present would you like?"

"I'll leave that up to your imagination," he teased, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey Shikamaru, Suki!" Ino appeared suddenly before them, jumping out of the doorway of her mother's flower shop. She seemed to step in front of Suki and beam at her teammate. "Happy birthday!"

The dark-haired shinobi looked vaguely uncomfortable, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, thanks. Happy birthday to you, too."

"It's not till tomorrow, silly!" she giggled girlishly. "But you already knew that. Oh, before I forget, my parents are throwing a little get-together to celebrate. You're invited, of course." The invitation obviously did not extend to Suki.

Shikamaru took the moment to spit uncouthly on the sidewalk. "No thanks. I've got other plans. C'mon, Suki."

Suki gave Ino a sickly sweet smile and trailed after him. "I don't know if you did that for my benefit or not," she said under her breath, nudging his hand lightly with her own. "But thanks."

"Ino's such a bitch sometimes," was his answer.

**I know this is another short chapter, but I'll post the next one quickly. As always, please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you to Turkishcracker8 and KuroiNeko72 for the awesome reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

The weeks continued to pass, bringing with it cooler weather, changing leaves, and more missions for Shikamaru and his team. True to her promise to herself, Suki maintained a steady training schedule while he was away. Even though all of her friends were away on missions fairly regularly (even Mitsuko had been okayed to resume active duty), there was always someone still in the village for her to train with.

One cool afternoon in mid-October found Suki on the chuunin training grounds with Sakura practicing ninjutsu techniques. Both young women were trained in similar specialties, which made them a very even match. Sakura had just used the Doryuu Heki to protect herself from Suki's Daibakufu no Jutsu attack when a messenger appeared from the Konoha hospital, out of breath.

"Katsuki-sama," the messenger panted, clutching a stitch in her side. "You must come quick! There's an emergency at the hospital."

Suki allowed her attack to drizzle away, giving the messenger a bored look. "What, the old hag can't provide enough medical nins to take care of her own shinobi?" she said scathingly.

"No, it's not that!" The messenger seemed almost frantic. "Team Ten from the village was on a B-ranked mission to take out a group of Grass spies that crossed the border, and the members have been badly injured!"

Suki pursed her lips over her teeth, trying to think why the name Team Ten should sound familiar to her.

Sakura let her ninjutsu crumble around her with a gasp. "Suki!" she exclaimed, bringing her hand to her mouth in horror. "Team Ten is Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji!"

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, like she had been punched in the stomach. Had she forgotten how to breathe? Her knees were trembling.

And then Sakura was there, her arm wrapped around Suki's waist. "Come on," she said, her face set in a grim expression. "Let's get to the hospital and see what we can do. Between the two of us, surely we can help."

Suki wasn't a saint. She would be the first to admit it. Even though she knew she should be worried about Ino and Chouji, she wasn't. She didn't care. All she cared about was finding Shikamaru and making sure he was alive.

The hospital was quiet when they arrived, and the messenger led them quickly up a flight of stairs to the emergency wing of the building. The three injured shinobi of Team Ten had been placed in separate rooms, so Sakura bid Suki farewell and went in search of Ino and Chouji.

"Where is Shikamaru?" Suki demanded frantically of the nearest shinobi. "Nara Shikamaru! Where is he?"

A hassled-looking healer showed her down the hall into one of the rooms. Shikamaru was spread out across the hospital bed, unconscious with his mouth slightly open. He was breathing, though it was heavy and labored and loud. There was an enormous gash across his chest, cutting through his clothing, that was even now oozing a good bit of blood. One of his arms was visibly broken.

Suki felt like her heart had stopped. Had she really come to care this much for someone only to have him taken away? Was that what falling in love was really about?

But she was nothing if not stubborn, so she reached for the medical supplies beside the bed. "Alright, this is how we're going to do this," she told the healers assembled in the room. They paused for a moment, then scurried to do as she commanded.

Dusk had fallen before Suki admitted that there was nothing else she could do at the moment. They'd managed to stem the flow of blood from the gash in Shikamaru's chest, which was no easy task. The wound had been caused by a disastrous weapon that left the flesh in tatters and a gaping hole right into his chest cavity.

The heart and lungs were in danger as well, and only quick maneuvering on Suki's part had kept him alive. Now the wound was closed and the chest cavity was sewn up. They'd set the broken arm and given him copious amounts of medicine, and now there was nothing left to do but wait and see how effective their administrations had been.

The hospital room was quiet and dim. Yoshino sat half-slumbering in a chair by the dark window. She'd had knitting in her hands, but now it lay forgotten on her lap as she dozed fitfully. Suki sat in a hard-backed wooden chair pulled up to the edge of the hospital bed, watching the face of her lover carefully for any sign of change, for better or worse. She felt a sort of numbness. What if she couldn't save him?

Days passed. Yoshino rarely left her son's bedside, and Suki never did. She hardly ate and slept, preferring to keep constant watch on her lover. Ino, whose wounds were the least serious, woke up two days afterwards, and Chouji three days later. But still Shikamaru remained unconscious.

Suki was still sitting in her chair by his bedside when there was a noise in the doorway and Tsunade appeared, looking weary and worn out. Because her problems with Kusa no Kuni were escalating, she had many shinobi in and out of the hospital that she felt personally responsible for.

"He may not wake, you know," Tsunade said softly, breaking the silence in the room. "But he completed his mission. He will be a hero."

"He will be a _live_ hero," Suki snarled through clenched teeth.

Tsunade's gaze narrowed on the younger version of herself. "Yoshino-san, would you mind giving my daughter and me a bit of privacy for a moment?" she asked politely.

Yoshino, still perched in her usual chair with a bit of candy halfway to her lips, sat up distractedly. "What? Oh, yes, of course..." And she stumbled out of the room.

Suki didn't look at her mother, just down at Shikamaru's still hand lying in her own. It was still warm, almost hot. That was a good sign.

"What are you doing, Katsuki?" Tsunade demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Her daughter frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"This relationship between you and the Nara boy is clearly beyond a typical friendship," Tsunade pointed out. "Anyone with eyes could see that. Why else would you remain so loyally at his bedside?"

"He's my best friend," Suki growled, feeling both defensive and terrified.

Tsunade sniffed disapprovingly. "You can't lie to me, Katsuki. I'm your mother," she said coolly. "And I don't think I need to remind you that you have a fiance waiting for you back in Takigakure."

Suki had to take a deep breath to calm herself. What was there to say?

"You can't toy with people's emotions like this, Katsuki," Tsunade lectured. "This may be a fun time for you, but you can't know how Shikamaru might feel. You are getting married in May to another man."

Suki had to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes. "It's not like that between Shikamaru and me," she lied, rather unconvincingly.

Tsunade sighed heavily. "Maybe I should send you back to Taki now, before things can go much further," she mused aloud to herself. "It's getting colder now, but we should have decent enough weather long enough for you to get home..."

"_No_!" Suki practically shouted, jumping to her feet. The chair she'd been sitting on teetered on two legs for a moment before deciding to crash to the floor. "You can't send me back there. Not yet. I was supposed to get to stay for the winter."

Tsunade rubbed her temples wearily and it seemed for a moment, if only for a moment, that the illusion surrounding her grew hazy. "Fine, you can stay until spring. But things between you and Nara Shikamaru cannot continue. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Suki muttered coldly, righting her chair.

"Hmph," Tsunade sniffed. She glared at her daughter for a moment, then sighed again and left the room.

Suki sank into the chair, feeling exhausted and defeated all of a sudden. Is this what it was all going to come down to?

She'd known from the beginning that she wasn't supposed to get involved with anyone. But Shikamaru had been there and he seemed to care so much. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it wasn't to fall in love. Now how was she supposed to go back to Taki and marry that idiot Watanabe Kenta?

**Yay for plot twists! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave me reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to my lovely reviewers! Here's the next chapter!**

Suki's emotions were a mess as the week progressed, but she steadfastly remained by Shikamaru's bedside. Tsunade would pop up unexpectedly from time to time, so she had to make sure she maintained a suitable distance from his sick bed.

It was almost a week and a half after the attack when Shikamaru finally opened his eyes. Suki was sitting faithfully by his bedside, half-dozing with her head resting on her arms. He groaned loudly, making her start.

She sat up suddenly, her bangs plastered to her forehead at odd angles. "Shikamaru!" she gasped.

He gave her a weak, cocky smile. "Hey, _hime_," he muttered. He rubbed his forehead uncomfortably. "Jesus, I feel like I died or something."

"You've been out for a week and a half," Suki explained, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "You, Chouji, and Ino got taken out by those Grass shinobi that infiltrated Hi no Kuni."

Shikamaru sat straight up in the hospital bed, looking alarmed. "Did they make it to Konoha?"

"No," she assured him quickly. "You guys took them out, but you were all pretty injured. Chouji and Ino are fine now, but you've been out for a while. You were seriously injured. I-I didn't know if you'd wake up or not." Her lower lip was trembling.

Shikamaru reached out a hand and touched her arm gently, smiling warmly. "Don't worry about me, _hime_. I'll always be here for you."

She felt a hot blush creep into her cheeks, the way it always did when he said embarrassing things like that.

A cough came from the doorway, a cough that distinctly belonged to Tsunade. Suki jumped and jerked her arm away, blushing even deeper.

"Shikamaru woke up," Suki said stupidly, getting to her feet. "You should go tell his mother, old hag."

"Since when do you give the orders around here, you spoiled little brat?" Tsunade growled, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "You go tell Yoshino-san that her son is alright."

Suki's hands balled into fists at her side, frowning. If she left Tsunade alone with Shikamaru, the old hag was sure to say something about her engagement to Kenta back in Takigakure. Suki couldn't have that.

"Don't say anything to him," Suki pleaded as she passed her mother, furious at having been reduced to begging. "He's nothing more than a friend to me, so don't say anything. _Please_."

Tsunade clucked her tongue disapprovingly but didn't say anything, and Suki was forced to go find Yoshino on her own.

She practically ran through the corridors, shouting for Yoshino. It didn't take her long to find Shikamaru's mother and break the good news to her, and then the two of them raced back to his hospital room.

Suki hardly dared breathe as Tsunade explained the situation to Yoshino in a low voice, telling her that she expected Shikamaru to make a full recovery, though he, Ino, and Chouji would be out of commission for a few months. Suki kept sneaking glances at Shikamaru, but Tsunade didn't seem to have mentioned anything. It appeared her secret was safe for the time being.

While Shikamaru remained in the hospital, Suki attending him faithfully, the season outside continued to change. The trees seemed to flame with color; the animals and people seemed to prepare themselves for hibernation.

**Short, I know. Sort of a transition chapter. But I'll post the next chapter as soon as I get a couple of reviews XD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it's been a while. Graduation details and wedding planning have had me swamped! Thanks to Joushou-Sensei for the lovely review! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

It was a week into November when Shikamaru was discharged from the hospital. Even though he was supposed to remain bedridden for a few more days, he was up and about the house at once.

"I can't stand being still," he complained to Suki one afternoon after she chastised him heartily. "It's so troublesome. Besides," he added. "The bonfire is in a few days. I'm not letting you go without me."

"What's the bonfire?" Suki couldn't curb her interest even though she knew she should be cross with his stubbornness.

He shrugged, peeling an orange with a pocket knife. "It's just this thing we do every year. It's a bunch of us chuunin and even a few jounin come. We just hang out and celebrate the arrival of autumn together."

"Sounds boring," Suki whined.

He chuckled and punched her playfully on the arm. "Just wait. It's a lot of fun."

Despite her misgivings and her worries about Shikamaru's health, she found herself intrigued by the notion of the bonfire. Camaraderie wasn't very important back in her village, so it excited her that everyone was close in Konoha.

She also worried constantly about getting caught by the old hag or anyone else. Even though she knew she should stop her and Shikamaru's relationship, that continuing it was only going to hurt them both, she couldn't. He was like her air; she needed him to breathe. And one just couldn't stop breathing.

The night of the bonfire arrived, bringing with it the coolest evening of the autumn thus far. Night fell early; it was already dark when Shikamaru and Suki got ready to go down to the training field, where the bonfire had been set up days in advance.

Yoshino fluttered around the entryway nervously, helping Suki do up the buttons on her coat. "Are you sure you ought to be going, Shikamaru?" she asked for the hundredth time. "You haven't been out of the hospital that long and-"

"I'll be fine," Shikamaru assured her in his lazy, bored drawl. "I'm not going to do anything strenuous. And besides, Suki will be there. She can probably patch me up better than the Fifth can if anything happens."

Yoshino got a testy look in her eyes. "Shikamaru, don't say things like that! You-"

"I'm just kidding," he grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "C'mon, Suki. We're going to be late."

"You really ought to be careful tonight," Suki warned, allowing him to take her hand as they strolled along the darkened street. "I couldn't bear if anything else happened to you..."

He pulled her to him roughly and pressed his lips to hers almost hungrily. Suki almost went limp in his embrace; they hadn't had the opportunity to be romantic with one another since before his accident, and she found she had missed it quite a lot. One of his hands gripped her rear quite hard through the fabric of the coat Yoshino had let her borrow as the weather grew cooler, while the other tangled itself in her loose blonde hair. His knee wedged its way in through her thighs, forcing her to spread her legs.

She felt a pleasantly familiar heat in her core and she subconsciously parted her lips, tasting him. A moan escaped into his mouth.

The sound of her whimpering only seemed to send him further over the edge. Grabbing a fistful of her silky hair, he yanked her head back and moved his lips down her jaw to her neck, where he sucked and nibbled playfully.

Suki clung to the fabric of his Flak jacket, feeling her knees weakening. She wanted him so badly that it hurt physically.

But she knew that even just fooling around could seriously damage Shikamaru's already wounded body, so, with severe self-control, she forced him back. "Not now," she told him, his heady scent almost overwhelming her. "You're still too injured. Plus, we're already late for this bonfire you've been raving about."

He sighed, but he knew she was right. He gave her one last peck on the lips, a sweet kiss, and wrapped his arm around her waist as they continued along the street.

Suki could hear and see the bonfire long before they came to it. The orange and gold flames were leaping several feet in the air, illuminating the entire field at the training ground. Thick gray smoke swirled off with the cool breeze, across the forest outside the village walls. Several shinobi that Suki didn't know were playing instruments, and many others were dancing around the fire to the music.

"Suki!" Kiba waved her over enthusiastically. He was sitting on a blanket with his arm draped around the shoulders of a well-endowed girl with long brown hair pulled back into double braids. Even though she was dressed modestly in long pants and a long-sleeved wrap top, her breastiness was obvious.

Suki grinned and headed down the hill towards him, Shikamaru following rather reluctantly. Kiba jumped to his feet and hauled his girlfriend up too. She was tall, almost as tall as him.

"Hey. Long time no see." Kiba enveloped his friend in a warm bear hug, flashing his sharp canines. Akamaru, sitting at his feet, barked encouragingly. "Suki, this is Takahashi Chizumi. Chi, this is my friend Yamamoto Katsuki."

Suki was beside herself at getting to meet Kiba's girlfriend. "Ah, I've heard so much about you!" she greeted the girl, who was taller even though she was younger, shaking her hand enthusiastically.

"You have?" Kiba wondered aloud.

The girl, Chizumi, smiled back. She had a wide, friendly smile with even, white teeth. Her grip was firm as she returned the handshake. "Likewise. It's very nice to meet you!" Her voice was deep and somewhat hoarser than Suki had expected.

"Come on, we have to dance!" Kiba announced, grabbing Suki's hands. "Since Shikamaru can't and Chi _doesn't_ dance, we'll dance together!" And they were off.

Suki managed to catch a few glimpses of Shikamaru while Kiba whirled her around the leaping flames in time to the drums, flutes, and horns. He was sitting on Kiba's blanket with Chizumi, Shino, and a girl even smaller than Suki with short, bluntly-cut dark hair and a pretty smile. Chizumi and the unknown girl were laughing and smiling; even Shino seemed to be smiling behind the enormous collar of his shirt. But Shikamaru didn't smile, just watched her with narrowed eyes.

"Shikamaru's jealous of you, you know," Suki laughed, dancing around lightly on her toes. Even though the weather was cool, the physical activity and close proximity to the fire were causing her to sweat. She was almost ready to shed her borrowed jacket.

Kiba almost tripped over a stick lying on the ground as another couple swept beside them. "Really? Why? Doesn't he know I'm dating Chi?"

"He knows. I told him." Suki shrugged, grinning at Sakura as they passed one another on the arms of their partners. "He's just the jealous type, I guess. Oh, speaking of Shikamaru..." She chewed on her lower lip anxiously. "Please keep anything you know to yourself. You see, it would be very bad, for both of us, if anyone found out."

Kiba gave her a steady look as the song ended and the assembled shinobi applauded. "Please, Suki. Like I would say anything."

"I know," she smiled sheepishly, looking down at her toes peeping out of her ninja sandals. "I just thought I'd... you know..."

He grinned and hugged her again. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

As the next song began, Kiba went to beg Chizumi to dance with him. Suki meandered through the crowd, seeing who she knew and who she didn't. Ino and Chouji were sitting with Shikamaru now, and Suki, still feeling surges of dislike for Ino, didn't want to go over there.

"I didn't think you'd come to the bonfire," a voice interrupted her quiet meanderings. She turned to find Sasuke standing there, not even wearing a coat but looking quite comfortable.

Suki hid her surprise easily. "I could say the same for you," she pointed out. "This doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd go voluntarily."

He shrugged, falling into step beside her. "I don't normally, but I was hoping I'd run into you here."

Suki chuckled nervously. What was she supposed to say to that? Hadn't she heard from Sakura that, before he ran off to avenge his murdered family, he was highly desired by all the girls in the village but that he'd showed no interest in any of them? Why was he all of a sudden interested in her?

"I apologize," he said coolly when she failed to respond. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh, you didn't," she assured him nervously. "It just... caught me by surprise, that's all."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Suki caught Shikamaru's eye across the field. He was watching her like a hawk, a disapproving frown marring his handsome face. She shrugged. What could she do?

It was almost half an hour later before Suki could reasonably excuse herself to Sasuke, and she rejoined the rest of her friends gratefully. She was introduced to Suzuki Akari, the girl Shino was seeing, and a handful of other shinobi she had seen around the village but hadn't been introduced to yet.

As the hours passed, the fire began to die down and the assembled shinobi began to say goodnight and drift away towards their homes. Then the musicians packed up their instruments and left the remaining ninjas with the nightly symphony of crickets, owls, and the crackling fire.

"I guess we're going to head home now," Shino said, climbing to his feet and helping Akari up. She was a petite little thing with circles tattooed on the inside of her lower arms, and she was half-asleep already. "Akari's tired."

Chizumi got up as well, brushing grass off the seat of her loose-fitting pants. "We should head back too, Kiba," she said. "I've got to head off on a mission tomorrow, and your sister will get angry if you come home too late."

"I guess that's the consensus then," Shikamaru grumbled, allowing Suki to help him up. "It's pretty late already."

"What time is it?" Suki tried to peer up at the sky but found she couldn't get a decent grasp on the hour.

Her lover followed her gaze, screwing up his mouth as he gauged the time. "Probably about three in the morning. We should definitely get home."

They bid their friends goodbye and started out up the road. They finally parted with Kiba, whose house was closest, and headed towards the Nara house.

"Did you have a good time?" Shikamaru asked dryly, his uninjured arm draped around her waist.

Suki grimaced, partially supporting him as they stumbled along the road. He seemed to be relying heavily on her; he'd probably pushed himself by coming out so soon after being released from the hospital. "Sasuke told me he liked me," she revealed.

"What? Really?" Shikamaru stopped and gaped at her in surprise, something that did not happen often. "He confessed to you?"

She nodded. "Yep. He told me the only reason he came to the bonfire tonight was so he could see me. It was a little creepy, but there wasn't much I could do about it."

Shikamaru didn't answer, but he seemed perturbed nonetheless.

**This chapter was like 20% plot driven and about 80% filler lol. I just wanted to get a grasp on how, even though they're shinobi, they're still kids. It might have come off as a little silly, but I liked writing it. **

**This is also the chapter where you get to meet some of my other original characters, Akari and Chizumi. Akari is actually my favorite Naruto OC of mine, after Suki, so there's a chance that, when I get some time, I might delve into some stories about her. Just as a reminder, I don't own anything from the manga or anime. I do, however, own Suki, Mitsuko, Akari, and Chizumi. So thanks! And review please!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for the lovely reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

"Suki!" a shrill voice rang out across the crowded street. "Wait up!"

The foreign shinobi turned, surprised at hearing her name shouted above the noise. Sakura was hurrying towards her, her long scarf flowing out behind her. The weather had grown even cooler in the few weeks since the bonfire, the smell of frost in the air.

"Hey Sakura," Suki greeted her friend, waiting on the corner of the street for the pink-haired shinobi to catch up.

Sakura beamed at her, a radiant, pretty smile. "Long time no see!" she teased. "What have you been up to?"

Suki shrugged, her long blonde hair tucked up into the back of Yoshino's jacket. "Nothing, really. I've been training a lot with Shikamaru since he won't be allowed on missions again for a while."

Sakura smiled sneakily. "You and Shikamaru are pretty close, aren't you?"

Suki hid her panic well. She knew she was on dangerous ground now. If word got back to Tsunade that she and Shikamaru were still together, all hell would break loose. "It's only natural that we would be good friends," she said smoothly. "After all, we live together like brother and sister."

"That's not what I meant," Sakura pointed out, falling into step with her blonde friend as they crossed the street. "It's almost like you're dating."

Suki forced a laugh that sounded hollow and dead even to her own ears. "It's not like that with me and Shikamaru," she lied lamely.

"Well, whether it is or isn't is your business," Sakura pointed out. "But, if it is, I'd watch out for Ino. She's had a crush on Shikamaru for, like, forever, so if she finds out that the two of you are together or whatever, she'll go ballistic. And none of us wants that." She laughed loudly to show she was teasing. "Well, I'm going this way. I'll see you later!"

Suki watched her walk away, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip. She'd always suspected that Ino had the hots for her boyfriend, but what was she going to do with this information now that she had it?

A sudden idea dawned on her and she went in search of Shikamaru, who was hanging out with Chouji since they were both out of commission for a while.

"Hey Suki," they greeted her when she approached, out of breath and red in the face.

"Hello," she panted. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but, Shikamaru, your mother needs you at home right away. She sent me to fetch you. She said it was urgent."

Shikamaru got to his feet, frowning. "How troublesome," he grumbled. "See you later," he tossed over his shoulder at his best friend, following Suki towards his house. "So what does she want?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk with you about an idea I had," Suki said, hoping he didn't think her foolish. "I told you that the old hag Tsunade has been overly suspicious about us since you were hospitalized, right? Well, I have the perfect way to throw her off our trail."

Shikamaru waited for her to explain.

"Well, Sasuke told me that he liked me, and Sakura told me that Ino has a crush on you," Suki explained.

"How troublesome..." Shikamaru grumbled, shoving his hands even deeper into the pockets of his jacket.

Suki continued as if he hadn't spoken. "So I was thinking that I could go on a date with Sasuke and you could go on a date with Ino. That way nobody will suspect that we're together."

Her lover frowned. "This sounds like a plan that could backfire pretty easily," he pointed out. "Once we go on these dates, how will we get Sasuke and Ino to back off later? They're both really pushy people."

"I can tell Sasuke that my mother found out about our date and had a meltdown, since I'm supposed to be so important and all," Suki continued in a rush of eager breath. "And you can just tell Ino that you realized she's a fat ugly cow."

He gave her a stern look even as his lips twitched with a smile. "Even if it's true, I can't go around telling her that. She's my teammate."

Suki sighed heavily in a perfect imitation of her boyfriend. "Fine, then I guess you can just tell her that Chouji likes her and you can't do that to your best friend and all. Ino will understand that."

Shikamaru still didn't seem entirely convinced. The thought of Suki alone on a date with that creeper Sasuke was enough to boil his blood. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid or reckless," he told her seriously.

So it was that Suki went in search of Sasuke the following afternoon. She found him at the training ground by himself, practicing taijutsu with his shirt off despite the cold weather all around them. He seemed to notice he was being watched, and his odd eyes flickered over in her direction almost suspiciously.

"Hi Sasuke," she chirped, plastering a fake smile across her face and waving girlishly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you. You seem to be working so hard."

He shrugged, using his discarded shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead. "I was about ready to take a break anyway," he answered flatly. "What are you doing out here? More training?"

"No, actually. I was looking for you." Suki blushed prettily as she said it. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go get dinner with me one night this week. If you're not busy, that is."

Sasuke paused for a moment, looking at her hard with those strange eyes. Suki resisted the urge to squirm uncomfortably, and he finally smiled. "Sure. I'm free tomorrow night."

"Great!" Suki could barely hide her relief. "Where shall we go? I'm afraid I'm still pretty unfamiliar with the restaurants in the village."

"There's a decent place across the street from the Ichiraku Ramen bar," he explained. "How about we meet there at six tomorrow night?"

"Sounds like a date!" she beamed. "See you then!" And she walked away very quickly, wondering what on earth she could find to say to such a strange individual over dinner.

The hour of the date grew near alarmingly quickly. Shikamaru, who had asked Ino out for two days later, watched Suki get ready in a state of almost panicked agitation.

"You can defend yourself if that bastard does anything, right?" he pressed for the millionth time in half an hour.

Suki let out an exasperated chuckle. "I don't think he's going to attack me in the restaurant, Shikamaru. He's not an animal."

"Yeah, but he might come onto you," Shikamaru grumbled, hunched down low on her bed as she experimented with different hairstyles in the mirror. "You're not experienced enough with men to know what to do."

She turned to give him a stern, level look. "Shikamaru, I am seventeen years old and it is just a dinner date. I'll be fine."

"I still don't like it," he sulked, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking down lower. "That guy gives me the creeps."

"Yeah, well he's a hell of a lot better than Ino," Suki retorted crossly, turning back to her mirror.

Shikamaru glared at her back. "Hey, you're the one who suggested I ask her out, not me. I don't want to have to spend any more time with her than I have to. I'm doing this for you, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Suki sighed, crossing the room and planting a light kiss on his forehead. "I won't be out too late."

"You'd better not be," her boyfriend threatened grimly, feeling more and more uncomfortable about the whole affair. "If you're not back by ten I'm coming to get you, and that won't be a pretty sight."

She chuckled. "I'll bet. But don't worry. I'll be home on time. See you later." She grabbed her jacket, made a big show of saying goodbye to Yoshino and Shikako and explaining about her date with Uchiha Sasuke, and left the house.

It was the coldest night she'd yet experienced, Suki noted as she strolled down the well-lit lane towards the village. Her breath steamed out from between her lips as a cloud of fog, and goose bumps ran along her arms and legs beneath the winter coat she'd been borrowing from Yoshino.

It didn't take her long to reach the restaurant, where Sasuke was waiting patiently for her outside, wrapped in his own coat. He gave her a smile, a fairly friendly one, as she approached.

"Hi, I hope you haven't been waiting long," she mumbled apologetically. She tended to be late to a lot of things.

He shook his head, holding open the door for her. "No, I just arrived myself, actually. You have perfect timing."

The restaurant was crowded and loud on the inside, well-heated and brightly lit. Groups of people were seated at low wooden tables surrounded by cushions, the smell of sizzling beef and fish floating on the air. Sasuke led the way to an empty table in the back corner where the light wasn't as bright and the chatter wasn't as loud. It was really the perfect table, Suki thought, but not the perfect table to be at with Sasuke.

"Is the food here any good?" she inquired politely, taking a seat and glancing over the menu. She only recognized about half of the items on the list; the rest were unfamiliar delicacies of the Fire Country.

Sasuke settled himself next to her and barely spared a look for the menu. "It's pretty decent, yes. Of course, the food doesn't compare to some of what I tasted up north."

That's right, Suki realized with a start. Sasuke was the only one who had traveled extensively so far away. He might even have been more knowledgeable about geography than she was.

She tentatively broached the subject, wondering if his widespread travels of revenge were a taboo topic. He didn't seem to mind her interest, however, and he spoke, if not eagerly, at least amicably. Before Suki knew it, hours had passed and it was very nearly ten o'clock.

"Oh, I really ought to get home," she said with some surprise. "I promised Shikako-sensei that I would be home by ten o'clock."

Sasuke got to his feet as well, helping her into her coat. "Let me walk you home," he suggested politely.

"That's alright. I'll be fine on my own," she assured him, thinking of how furious Shikamaru would be if Sasuke showed up on his doorstep. "I'm pretty sure I know the way now."

"I insist." And there was no more argument.

Though they'd found a surprising amount to talk about over dinner, the walk home through the cold night was silent. Suki looked at her feet as she walked, wrapped tightly in her coat, her hands balled up inside the sleeves and her breath steaming from her lips. She sneaked glances at Sasuke as they walked, and he always had a kind smile when he caught her looking, as he inevitably did.

They ran into Shikamaru on the road not far from the house. It must have been after ten and, true to his word, he had come looking for her. Suki, in tune with his every emotion, knew that he was furious despite his calm demeanor.

"There you are," he said flatly, giving Sasuke a once over. "You were late, so my mother sent me to get you. She was getting worried."

"My apologizes to Yoshino-sama," Sasuke said politely, never taking his cold, dark eyes from Shikamaru's. "We lost track of time over dinner. I was bringing her home to apologize in person."

"I've received your apology," Shikamaru answered, trying to keep the cool tone from his voice. "I'll walk her the rest of the way."

Sasuke nodded politely. "Of course." He gave Suki a long, probing look, the corner of his mouth turning up into a sort of dry half-smile. "It was a pleasure dining with you, Suki. I hope to do it again someday soon. Goodnight."

As he turned and strode back toward the village, toward his own home where he lived alone, Shikamaru grasped Suki's arm rather painfully through his mother's coat. "You were supposed to be home at ten. It is currently five after," he reminded her sharply.

"I know. I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely. "It's just, we got to talking and I really had a good time and-" She caught his sharp look and smile reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's not like that. I don't think Sasuke is as bad a guy as everyone thinks he is. He's just had a rough time."

"That's it," Shikamaru said firmly. "You're not being left alone with him ever again."

**Tee hee. That was a fun chapter. Please review! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for your reviews everyone! To ILoveUchihaHyuuga: I'm glad that you like the story but I thought it was a little presumptuous that you assumed I wouldn't finish it. You posted that review just a few days after I'd updated. I happen to be graduating in May, getting married in June, working as much as I can, and taking care of my fiance and my son, so my plate is pretty full. Don't you worry, though. Updates will always come. I will never not finish a story. Ever. Thanks.**

"I heard you went on a date with Uchiha Sasuke," Mitsuko said by way of greeting. It was two days after Suki's dinner with Sasuke, and word had gotten around fast. Suki had met her friend on the training ground for a quick session before going for ramen.

Suki grimaced as she dodged Mitsuko's quick fist. "Who'd you hear that from?"

"Everyone," Mitsuko replied simply. "Everyone is talking about it."

"Why is it such a big deal to everyone?" Suki wondered, countering the attack. It was a cold November morning, but their activity kept her warm.

Mitsuko shrugged, only attacking half-heartedly. "Sasuke's a pretty weird dude. I mean, that whole revenge rampage he went on a couple years ago and all is kind of frightening if you ask me. I just didn't think you'd be into him."

"It was just dinner," Suki said, throwing a punch. Mitsuko blocked the attack easily and paused, gesturing up the hill. Her companion turned to look.

Iruka was coming towards them, bundled up against the onset of winter. He paused when he reached them, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "The Hokage wants to see you in her office, Katsuki-san," he announced rather apologetically. "She said it's urgent."

"Everything's urgent with that old whore," Suki grumbled to herself, reaching for her discarded coat.

Mitsuko followed. "I'll come along," she said decisively, not waiting to be invited. "I've never seen the inside of the Hokage's office before."

"Did she say what she wanted?" Suki wondered as the three of them traipsed through the city towards the tall, central building that housed her mother's office.

Iruka shrugged. "I'm afraid she didn't say, but she did seem to think it was a matter deserving immediate attention." He looked around delicately. "I think it may have something to do with your date with Uchiha Sasuke," he admitted. "But I don't think you have to worry. I told her about you and Kiba."

Suki was surprised. There was absolutely nothing going on between her and Kiba besides a close friendship, but Iruka's misunderstanding could definitely work in her favor. If Tsunade thought she was seeing not only Sasuke but Kiba as well, it would throw her off the trail of Shikamaru. Suki couldn't have planned it better herself.

Tsunade was in her office with Kakashi and another Jounin that Suki hadn't been introduced to yet. The Hokage wore a frown, and she dismissed everyone as soon as her daughter appeared. Once everyone had left the office and the two were alone, Tsunade settled down to business.

"I've been hearing some very interesting rumors around the village the past couple of days," Tsunade began.

Suki put on air of disinterest. "Have you?"

"Yes, in fact I have." Tsunade's anger was betrayed in the flash of her sharp eyes. "I've heard that you've been dating both Uchiha Sasuke and Inuzuka Kiba."

Her daughter let out a light, tinkling laugh. "Please," she scoffed. "First you say I'm dating Shikamaru and now you say I'm dating Sasuke and Kiba? Where on earth do you get your information?"

Her offhand demeanor only seemed to infuriate her mother more. "I don't know what game you're playing, Katsuki," she said firmly. "But these men have feelings that you shouldn't trample on."

"I'm not playing any games, old hag," Suki said coldly. "I have friends. I don't know why that bothers you."

Tsunade sighed. "Fine. Just go, Katsuki."

"With pleasure," Suki muttered, escaping the office. She found Mitsuko waiting outside, pretending to examine a tapestry on the wall. "Let's get out of here," she muttered.

"So what happened?" Mitsuko demanded eagerly, trailing after Suki out into the street, where they buttoned their coats against the cold.

Suki shrugged, secretly thrilled with the way everything had played out. "She heard about my date with Sasuke and said I wasn't allowed to see him anymore."

"I can understand that," Mitsuki mumbled under her breath as they headed for the ramen bar. "But what are you going to tell him?"

"That the old hag won't let me see him, of course," Suki answered.

"But how are you going to do it?" Mitsuko pressed. "You don't want to offend him or anything. A creepy guy like that is liable to do _anything_."

Suki hadn't thought about that. She'd figured that he would be upset, certainly, but would he take it to extreme measures? She turned to her friend suddenly. "You do it for me!" she begged.

Mitsuko's eyes bulged. "Me? No way!" she shook her head firmly. "You got yourself into this mess; you have to get yourself out. Why would you go on a date with someone like Sasuke anyway?"

"Have you looked at him?" Suki demanded. "He's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen, and I've seen my fair share of good-looking men."

The red-head seemed to think about it. "Well, he is pretty handsome," she admitted. "Practically everyone in my year had a crush on him at one point back when we were in the academy." Then she shook her head. "But he's still creepy and dangerous. You have to tell him yourself, but I will go with you."

The two girls found Sasuke at the library, reading through dusty old scrolls of history. The library was dimly lit and musty; Suki had never been in there before.

Sasuke, sitting at a table near the back where the lighting was the worst, saw them enter and watched them approach with those strange black eyes of his. "Hello again," he said calmly. He barely spared a glance for Mitsuko, which she was not used to. She silently fumed beside her friend.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Sasuke," Suki began. She was really a terrible actress; she hoped it didn't show. "My mother found out that we went on a date and she's furious. I've been forbidden to see anyone during the remainder of my stay in Konoha."

Sasuke took all this in without comment, though his face grew grim and his eyes flashed. "That's... unfortunate," he finally said.

Suki found that she was almost afraid. She was glad that Mitsuko was there with her and she hadn't had to face him alone. "Again, I'm sorry for all this. I hope we can still stay friends."

"Of course." His voice was dull and flat; Suki didn't like the sound of it much.

She didn't know what else to say. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then." The two girls escaped the library and Suki bid Mitsuko farewell. Then she hastened home.

Shikamaru was fairly housebound because of his injuries, so she found him out back in the garden despite the chill weather. He was sitting on a stone bench with a scroll on his lap, studying unfamiliar kanji with a furrowed brow.

He looked up when she came into the garden, her cheeks red with cold and excitement. "Guess what!" she crowed eagerly.

"What?" He set aside his scroll expectantly as she came and sat beside him on the cold bench.

She tossed her hair back out of her face, her eyes twinkling. "My mother called me into her office. She heard about my date with Sasuke. Also, she thinks I'm seeing Kiba as well!" She laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. She lowered her voice. "Anyway, I think we've thrown her off our trail pretty well."

Shikamaru gave her an unrelenting look. "And what about Sasuke? Have you told him you're not allowed to see him?"

"Yes." She couldn't help but be amused by her lover's jealousy. She'd never had anyone be jealous on her account before. "He seemed upset by it, but it's Tsunade's word. He won't go against that."

Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief and slipped his uninjured arm around her waist underneath her coat. "That means I can get rid of Ino. Thank god." He chuckled. "You know, I thought this scheme of yours was going to fail, but maybe you're a better strategist than I gave you credit for."

She grinned and snuggled closer, inhaling the familiar smell of him and feeling his warmth. "Think you're up for celebrating tonight?" she wondered cautiously. They still hadn't had a chance to be intimate with one another, and both were starting to feel the strain of being apart for too long.

He gave her a wicked grin, capturing her mouth in a kiss. "You bet."

**Hope you like! Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here you go! Please review!**

The season continued to turn. The leaves lost their luster and turned brown, falling from the trees to coat the fields and paths of Konoha with a crackling dust. More and more often, Suki would wake to find frost coating the ground as autumn turned decidedly into winter. She awoke one morning early in December to find a strange light coming from outside the window.

She threw back the covers and leapt to the window, pressing her face against the cold glass. A thick layer of snow had blanketed everything during the night; large snowflakes still floated lazily from a gray sky.

"Shikamaru!" she cried, almost forgetting to keep her voice down. "There's _snow_!"

He rolled over sleepily in bed, pulling the blankets higher round his neck. "Of course there's snow," he yawned lazily. "It's winter."

Suki turned back to the window, watching the snow fall softly, muffling all sound. She had never seen snow before. Taki was perpetually warm, the tropical climes a complete opposite of the rapidly-changing Konoha.

She wasn't sure just how long she stood there, mesmerized by the falling snow, but then Shikamaru was there behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "You should go downstairs before my parents notice you're not in your room," he warned. He nevertheless didn't loosen his hold on her.

"Isn't this beautiful?" she breathed, putting a hand to the frozen glass.

Shikamaru, more awake now, tilted his head so he could see her face. "You've really never seen snow before?"

"It doesn't snow in Taki," she reminded him. "It doesn't even get cold there." She looked at him suddenly. "What does it _feel_ like?"

He couldn't help but smile. Her childlike innocence was a refreshing change from the spoiled princess she had once been. "How about this: after breakfast, we'll go out and play in it. How does that sound?"

Once they had eaten breakfast and Suki had hurriedly and haphazardly helped Yoshino clean up, the two of them bundled up into their warmest wear and set out.

At first Suki was tentative. She had traded her open-toed sandals for a more practical pair with closed toes, boots that reached her knees and kept her warmer, but she still stepped into the snow nervously. When her foot sank nearly a foot, she let out a startled cry and yanked it back. Then she laughed delightedly and jumped into the snow.

Because Shikamaru still couldn't be as active as he would have liked, the two of them set off to find Kiba. He was starting to get over his jealousy when it came to Kiba, since it seemed that Kiba was genuinely interested in his busty girlfriend, so he didn't mind making the suggestion.

They found Kiba and Hana in the courtyard, romping through the snow with Akamaru, all three of them sharing a sense of wild abandon. Kiba let out a wild war cry when he saw Suki and hit her full on with a snowball that exploded into powder on the front of her coat.

She stopped when she got hit, an expression of shock on her face. No one had ever thrown anything at her before, much less a ball of snow. He laughed whole-heartedly at her expression; even Shikamaru smiled.

"You've never had a snowball fight before?" Kiba called, enveloping her in a wet, snowy hug. "Ah, that's right. You've never even _seen_ snow before." He gave Shikamaru a stern look, his arms still wrapped protectively around Suki's shoulders. "I think we need to get the gang together and have one. For Suki's benefit, of course."

"Of course," Shikamaru agreed gravely.

Suki wasn't quite sure what was happening, but before long a large group had gathered down at the training field. Hinata, Sakura, Tenten, Mitsuko, Akari, and Chizumi had all gathered, wrapped in their warmest. Naruto, Lee, Chouji, and Shino had come too. Neji was away on a mission, though most secretly suspected he wouldn't have joined them even if he'd been home, and Sasuke and Ino were conspicuously missing. Ino especially seemed to have taken Shikamaru's rejection hard; she didn't seem to be around much anymore.

The snowball fight was quite unlike anything Suki had ever imagined, made all the more dangerous since it was between trained shinobi. They were quite sneaky, for the most part, using their special jutsus to attack their opponents.

At first Suki hid behind Kiba, who was large enough to shield her. Once he turned on her and shoved a handful of cold wet snow down the back of her coat, she learned to trust no one. Once she got the nerve to start throwing snowballs of her own, however, she found herself having fun. She had surprisingly good aim and no one escaped her attacks.

By the time the sun began setting beyond the western horizon, sinking below the bare trees, the lot of them were soaking wet and freezing. They bid one another farewell and traipsed home.

"So you've never seen snow before?" Chizumi asked once she, Suki, Kiba, and Shikamaru were the last ones on the northern road. "I heard it's really warm in Taki."

"That's right," Suki agreed, kicking at clumps of snow with her cold feet. "I've never even heard of a snowball fight before."

"It's a little immature of us," Chizumi admitted. The buttons of her coat strained over her enormous bosom as she walked. "But it's nice, every once in a while, to be children again." She grinned suddenly. "Ah, listen to me. I must sound dumb."

Suki didn't say anything, but she didn't think Chizumi sounded dumb at all. She thought she sounded very wise.

**A short, silly little thing to remind everyone that our characters are still kids XD**

**More coming. Review please. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay guys! Update time! Special thanks to Ninja Trio's Best for the lovely review! I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Just as a reminder - I don't own anything you recognize! **

The weather remained foul. The snow continued intermittently for weeks at a time, making travel difficult. Suki liked to play in it, but when she had somewhere she really needed to be, she found that she didn't like it all.

On the other hand, being cooped up in the house all day gave her ample time to spend with her lover. Shikako was out every day, and more often than not Yoshino had to travel into the village center since she could no longer harvest fruits and vegetables from her own garden. That left the two plenty of time with one another.

The weeks passed, and Suki realized she had come to depend on Shikamaru far more than she had ever expected. It was a problem, she thought to herself one morning as she lay in bed, wrapped in his arms. He was still asleep, his face pressed against her neck, his breathing warm and steady and reassuring.

In the four months Suki had been in Konoha, Shikamaru had come to embody everything that she needed and wanted. He was her entire life, her very reason for existing. She hadn't thought it was possible to feel that way about anyone, but, now that she did, she knew it was impossible to return to Taki in the spring and marry Kenta. She would just have to make Tsunade understand.

With a strong resolve, Suki bundled up after breakfast and got ready to go visit her mother, the first time she had done so in all her time in Konohagakure.

"Why are you going to see your mother?" Shikamaru demanded suspiciously, watching as she pulled on her warm boots and wrapped her scarf around her neck. "You hate your mother, remember?"

"I just want to talk to her," Suki said, keeping her face turned away from him. She never could lie well, but especially not to Shikamaru. He knew her better than she knew herself and could see through any lie she tried to tell.

She mapped out what she was going to say to Tsunade as she trekked through the deep snow to the center of the village, the high tower standing out starkly against a gray sky that threatened more snow. She would have to leave out everything about Shikamaru of course; she'd gone to too much trouble to smooth out that wrinkle to endanger it again. But surely even Tsunade could understand the absurdity of forcing her into a political marriage.

The jounin at Tsunade's office all seemed terribly busy, but Suki stopped one of them she recognized and told him, rather imperially, that she needed to speak with her mother.

"The Hokage is very busy," the man said anxiously, not wanting to refuse Suki but not wanting to disturb Tsunade either. "Perhaps this could wait until another time...?"

She fixed him with a flat, haughty stare that she hadn't used in quite a while. "No, it can't wait. Tell my mother I'm here to see her. She's ignored me for four months already. It won't kill her to spare ten minutes."

The man frowned but did as he was told. Five minutes later, Suki was ushered into Tsunade's office and the two were left alone.

"What is it, Katsuki?" Tsunade asked distractedly. She was seated at her desk, poring over a map of the boundaries of Hi no Kuni. There were all sorts of little marks on the map that Suki didn't understand.

Suki needed to broach the subject carefully. "I'm here to make a deal with you," she said, keeping her tone cautiously businesslike. She needed to show no weakness to Tsunade.

She seemed to have gotten her mother's attention. "A deal? What sort of deal?" She seemed almost amused.

Suki knew it was important not to let her mother think of her as a child. After all, if she was old enough to be given away in marriage she was old enough to be considered an adult, capable of making rational decisions. "I don't want to go back to Taki," she explained calmly.

"You have to go back. You're expected there in spring," Tsunade was quick to remind her.

Suki carefully hid her irritation. It wouldn't do to give way to childish rage. "Yes, I'm well aware of that. However, if you send me back to Taki, I'll simply run away again."

Tsunade opened her mouth to interrupt, but Suki plowed on.

"That's why I want to make a deal with you," she said calmly, sitting with her ankles folded primly. "If you agree to call off my marriage to Watanabe Kenta, I'll agree to return to Taki without a fuss."

Tsunade looked at her critically for a moment, pursing her lips. Then she returned to her map. "That's not an option, Katsuki. Your marriage to the Watanabe was arranged years ago. It would bring political chaos if either your father or I were to call off the wedding now. No, you _will_ marry him."

Suki felt her temper flare. "I'll just run away again," she threatened, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Then you will have constant surveillance," Tsunade replied coolly. "How would you like that, Katsuki? Someone watching you every moment of the day? Watching while you ate, while you slept, even while you bathed? Would you like to live in a world that offered no form of privacy?"

Suki bit her tongue to keep from lashing out. "I came to make a deal," she said through clenched teeth.

"And I refuse your pathetic attempt at a deal." Tsunade was already losing interest. "If you don't mind, I've got work to do. Unlike you, I have _real_ problems to worry about."

Suki jumped to feet, her face red with anger. "I'm not going!" She found herself shouting despite her best efforts to keep her emotions under control. "I'm not going back to Taki and I'm not marrying Watanabe Kenta!"

Tsunade was on her feet too, just as deadly, just as dangerous. "Like I said before, Katsuki, you play a very dangerous game," she said coolly. "This matter was decided a long time ago. You should want to help your country through this political marriage. The Watanabe boy will be a good leader for your people. That's what you should be thinking about, you selfish, spoiled little girl."

Suki fled in tears. She didn't know where she was going, but she plowed through the snow, her feet directing her without thought to the forest outside the village gates. Then she collapsed in tears.

It was afternoon by the time she had cried herself out. Snowflakes had landed in her hair and eyelashes, and her entire body was numb with cold. Her stomach grumbled, but she didn't think she could eat anything.

"You look frozen to the bone, Suki-san," Yoshino commented mildly when she returned to the house half an hour later.

Suki numbly unwound the scarf from round her neck and hung it on one of the hooks by the door. "Yes, I stayed out longer than I expected. I think I'll go take a bath now."

Shikamaru watched her climb the stairs, noting the hunch in her shoulders and the dejection in her step. His shrewd eyes missed nothing, and he knew that something was weighing heavily on her. But with her declaration of going to take a bath, she had effectively prevented him from going after her. He sighed and tried to return to his studies, but his mind was elsewhere and could not be distracted.

**A little bit of a filler chapter, but ah well. More exciting goodness to come. I hope you all enjoyed!**

**On a completely unrelated note, my son tried to use the potty yesterday! XD It was so cute! We weren't planning on potty training him for a few more months, but my mom bought us one of those adorable little potty chairs and it's just been sitting in the guest bathroom and he tried to use it. It was the funniest thing! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for the brief, hiatus! Things have been hectic but I'll try and keep updating this. I am officially a college graduate. Pretty weird! Please review!**

A fortnight passed and Suki's gloom remained. She tried to put up a front around everyone, but Shikamaru was attuned to her every emotion and knew that something was very wrong. At night, even when she lay wrapped in his arms, she cried when she thought he was asleep, but Shikamaru, who had no experience with women, didn't know what to do.

It was just after the turn of the year when the worst blow of all fell. Suki was doing her best to shake off the gloomy thoughts that plagued her, so she had suggested that she and Shikamaru take a walk.

"Where do you want to go?" Shikamaru asked as they left the house, snaking his arm around her slender waist as soon as they were out of sight of the house. "We could go shopping or we could go look at the statues of the former Hokages or-"

"Let's go for ramen," Suki suggested, leaning into his embrace and showing him a trace of her former smile. "We haven't gone to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar recently."

So Shikamaru steered their steps towards the restaurant in question. They stepped apart when they came in view of the village center, as usual, not wanting to chance letting their secret out.

When they entered the ramen bar, however, they discovered a great many of their friends gathered down at one end of the bar. Akamaru, sitting atop Kiba's head, caught sight of Suki and began to bark enthusiastically. His owner looked up and caught her eye, grinning. "Suki!" he called, bringing her to the attention of the others, who were crowded around a pink head that Suki could barely make out.

Shikamaru wanted to slip out and pretend he hadn't seen them, but Suki was eagerly making her way towards them. She'd had little time to spend with her friends recently, what with the foul weather and constant missions, so perhaps, he thought to himself, a pleasant afternoon with a big group of people was just what she needed to bring the smile back to her face.

The gaggle of people parted and Shikamaru and Suki were enveloped into them, a mass of moving, thronging bodies.

"What's going on?" Suki wondered cheerfully, looking around at all the faces. Even Ino was there, and she had made herself scarce since Shikamaru had tactfully rejected her "out of friendship to Chouji," who was clearly in love with her.

Sakura, sitting in the midst of everyone with Lee by her side, blushed prettily and laughed. "Only this," she said eagerly, holding out a fan so Suki and Shikamaru could see. It was a _suehiro_, a fan that opened from end to end that symbolized future happiness for a couple. "Lee proposed! We're going to get married!"

"Married?" Suki repeated, a strange smile frozen on her face. "That's so wonderful, Sakura! I'm so happy for you!"

Shikamaru wanted to whisk his lover away, somewhere private where they could be alone, for he could see that she was uneasy with this news, for whatever reason. But they couldn't politely excuse themselves, and soon Suki's smile relaxed and she seemed genuinely happy for Lee and Sakura.

"I'd really like you to be in the wedding, Suki," Sakura said as the afternoon wound down. "I've already asked Ino and Hinata. You'll say yes, won't you?"

"Of course," Suki beamed. She said nothing about her own upcoming wedding, which would take place just months after this one.

Dusk had fallen outside by the time everyone excused themselves and the group split up. Shikamaru and Suki said nothing until they were the only ones left on the northern road.

"What do you think about Lee and Sakura getting married?" Shikamaru broached the subject carefully, keeping his voice lazy but his eyes sharp. "It's sudden, isn't it?"

She shrugged, lost in her own thoughts. "They've been together for years, so it's not that sudden. Besides, when you meet the right person, you just know. Why wait after that?"

He slipped an arm around her. "What about you? Do you want to get married?"

"What?" She gaped at him, shocked out of her thoughts. "What do you mean, do I want to get married?"

He shrugged, intrigued by her response. "I mean just that. I love you, more than I'll love anyone. Why don't we get married?"

Suki turned her face to the ground to hide the tears that had appeared there. When she spoke, however, her voice was oddly composed. "I love you too, of course, but I don't think I'll like marriage very much."

"Is that-" Shikamaru began, but he stopped suddenly, jerking Suki to a stop. She looked up in surprise. Her lover's gaze had narrowed in dislike. Sasuke was standing at the crossroads before them and, from the look on his face, he had overheard their conversation.

Suki froze, Shikamaru's arm still wrapped intimately around her waist.

Sasuke brushed past them. "Not allowed to see anyone, right? I see that's going well for you," he snapped as he passed, and then he was gone.

**Short but necessary for the plot development. Again, please review. I'm getting married in about a month, so things will continue to be hectic for a while, but I promise I will keep updating! XD**


	20. Chapter 20

**Special thanks to SilverMusic for being my sole reviewer for last chapter. There are plenty of story alerts and favorite stories but very few people actually review, and that's a bit of a put off. So please, if you read and enjoy, please review.**

**Also, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.**

Suki spent a sleepless night, terrified that she would wake to Tsunade storming into the Nara house. But as time went on, no one seemed to know anything. It looked like Sasuke, though angry, hadn't told anyone about his discovery. It seemed like their secret was safe for a while yet.

It was a bother, Suki thought to herself one afternoon nearly a month later. She had spent nearly six months cavorting in secret with Shikamaru, and it was starting to take a toll on her. She wished that she could come clean about it to everyone, to just throw open her arms and announce that she loved him and only him, but Tsunade's lecture about duty and pride for her homeland had touched her deeply and she wasn't sure about anything anymore.

She was on her way to tea at Hinata's. All the other girls were away on missions of one sort or another, even Mitsuko, so Suki had found welcome distraction in Hinata's invitation. The weather had been growing steadily warmer; spring wasn't too far off. Though snow still lay thickly on the ground, none had fallen recently and the streets had stayed clear.

Suki was still immersed in her thoughts when she passed by the Yamanaka flower shop in the center of town. She was surprised to see Naruto inside the shop through the large front window, thoughtfully perusing a selection of flowers.

She paused and watched him, his face screwed up as he tried to decide what to buy. Ino's mother was watching with exasperation.

Suki decidedly pushed open the door and stepped into the warmth of the flower shop, humid and sweet-smelling. Naruto turned crimson when he saw her.

"Ah, hello Katsuki-san," Ino's mother said politely, smoothing down her kimono. "Can I help you with something?"

"No thank you," Suki replied, sidling over to Naruto with a twinkle in her eye. "I was just wondering who Naruto was buying flowers for."

The blonde gave her one of those imbecilic grins he was known for. "I wasn't buying flowers. I was just..." He trailed off, unable to think of a decent lie.

"It's for Hinata, right?" Suki suggested, turning to look at the flowers he'd been perusing.

He got flustered at once. "I don't know what you're-" he blabbered. "I'm not... You're just-"

"Violets," Suki said decisively, selecting the proper flowers and handing them to Ino's mother to ring up. "Hinata loves violets."

Naruto silently paid for the flowers, abashed. "Thanks," he mumbled as they left the shop together, tightening their coats and scarves.

"No problem," Suki smiled. "You know, I'm on my way to the Hyuuga main house right now. You can come with me and give them to her now, if you'd like."

"You really think she'll like them?" Naruto asked eagerly, looking at the delicate violets clutched in his fist.

Suki nodded, still smiling. "Of course. They'll make Hinata very happy. She likes you very much, you know."

"She does?" he demanded, startled.

Suki found she liked playing matchmaker very much. "Of course. You should ask her out. She'd say yes."

"Hmm," he murmured, deep in thought.

Hinata was very surprised to see both of them when she opened the door. "Oh, Naruto!" She blushed. "I-I wasn't expecting to see-"

"Here!" He thrust the flowers at her, his face as crimson as hers.

Hinata looked confused for a moment, then her face lit up in delight. "They're lovely!" she exclaimed. "I love them!"

Suki nudged Naruto discreetly with her foot, giving him an encouraging nod.

"And," he took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime? You know, on a date?"

Hinata blushed sensationally, looking quite like a dark-haired tomato. "I-I'd like that very much."

Even though she was supposed to have tea with Hinata, Suki pointedly excused herself and let the two of them be alone for a while. She'd been looking forward to spending time with Hinata to take her mind off the constant gnawing of her duty, but she found that, after being able to help her friends, she was in a brighter mood.

"You seem happy," Shikamaru commented, rather suspiciously, when she returned to the house. It was empty besides the two of them; Shikako was busy with work for the Hokage and Yoshino had gone to see another shinobi's wife about something.

Suki couldn't hide the rather smug smile on her face. "Naruto just asked Hinata out. I think they'll be dating now. It's about time, if you ask me."

Her lover set aside the book he was reading and leaned back on his hands on the bed, giving her a rather reproachful look. "Have you been meddling in other people's business, _Hime_? Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

She flopped onto the bed beside him, stretching her arms above her head in a luxurious stretch. The short hem of her loose-fitting shirt rode up to reveal the underside of her plump, round breasts, just a tempting glimpse. "They needed a little push," she maintained stubbornly. "Hinata's too shy and Naruto is too immature to do it themselves."

"You need to quit meddling in other people's business," he insisted, rolling onto his side and drawing her to him, comfortably settling his chin into the crook between her shoulder and cheek. Her sweet, flowery scent was heady, as always, and he felt the fabric of his trousers strain taut. "Look where it's gotten you. Neither Sasuke nor Ino can stand either one of us now, and we could get caught at any time."

"If you're that worried about it," she said loftily, struggling against his warm, familiar hold. "We can just end this right now."

He grabbed her round the waist and pulled her back to the bed, using his own body to hold her down. He grinned at her viciously. "I don't think so," he muttered huskily, his voice thick. Then he captured her mouth in a sensuous kiss, and Suki didn't complain.

**A little short, yes, but I am totally a Naruto/Hinata fan so I wanted to add something like this in somewhere. This story is starting to come to a close. There are only a handful of chapters left, so it's going to start getting exciting soon. I won't be able to update for about two weeks because I'm getting married on Saturday but I hope to have a lot of reviews when I come back from my honeymoon!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the hiatus! I am officially married now! XD**

The two of them spent the remainder of February as inconspicuously as possible. Though no adults, besides Tsunade of course, suspected anything of their clandestine relationship, Ino had taken it as a personal insult. She had taken it upon herself to make sure everyone in their group knew that Shikamaru and Suki were somehow together. It turned out not to matter too much, as everyone had already suspected as much and either didn't care or pointedly chose to keep the information to themselves. Sasuke, on the other hand, spoke less to everyone, even Naruto, and grew even moodier. He and Suki spent the time avoiding each other as best they could.

There was only a thin layer of snow still on the ground the afternoon the two came face to face with one another at last. Team Ten was away on a mission and Mitsuki and her teammates were off on some sort of secret training, so Suki had gone to the training grounds for a bit of personal skill honing. She hadn't expected to find Sasuke there, but he was working diligently, shirtless, his breath steaming out into the cold February morning.

He caught sight of her before she could sidle off, an ugly sneer on his chiseled face, so Suki held her head high and marched down to the training field. She had as much right to be there as he did, after all.

After five minutes of over-the-shoulder glares and derisive snorts, Suki had had enough. "If you've got something to say to me, just say it!" she snapped, hands on her hips.

"I have nothing to say to someone like you." His voice was cool, demeaning. Suki had never been spoken to thus in her entire spoiled life. She was furious and humiliated but at the same time she felt guilty and abashed.

Her lower lip trembled despite her efforts to keep her emotions in check. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, her hands balling themselves into fists. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You thought lying to me wouldn't hurt?" His eyes flashed dangerously and she was reminded again of just how frightening this dark-haired, dark-eyed young man could be.

"I didn't lie to you," she maintained. "The old hag won't let me see anyone. Because of my lineage, there's someone set aside for me to marry."

Sasuke looked suspicious but he had lost the sharp edge. "What about the Nara kid? You're with him, aren't you?"

"I'm not supposed to be." Before she knew it, Suki had seated herself on a bench next to Sasuke and told him everything. Maybe it was because she'd been holding everything in for so long, but it was a relief to tell the whole story to someone.

Sasuke proved to be a good listener. His solid, silent presence beside her was reassuring as she wove her tale; he nodded and frowned at the appropriate times.

When she'd finished, he was still frowning. "I do feel sorry for you, but you shouldn't have used me like that."

"I know." She hung her head in shame, twisting the fabric of her skirt relentlessly in her hands. "It's just never mattered before."

He gave her a rare smile and things were alright once more between them. "You should tell Shikamaru though. He deserves to know."

"You're friends with Sasuke?" Shikamaru demanded that night. It was late; the sky was dotted with brilliant stars, the full moon reflecting off what was left of the snow in the garden.

Suki closed the bedroom door softly and frowned over her shoulder. "Keep it down. You'll wake your parents."

"You're friends with Sasuke?" her lover repeated incredulously. He was sprawled across his bed, shirtless, fiddling with a lone shuriken. "I thought he hated you after the stunt you pulled with the date."

She shrugged, kicking off her shoes and peeling off her fishnet gloves. "He did," she agreed, dropping the gloves and shoes in the floor. She never picked up after herself. "But we had a nice long chat. We're fine now."

"I don't think I like you being friends," Shikamaru grumbled, watching her pull her shirt over her head and throw it aside. He seemed vaguely distracted by the pale moons of her breasts. "Sasuke is a shady guy, Suki."

She shimmied out of her uneven skirt and threw it aside, leaving her in only her fishnet shorts. "He's supportive of us, Shikamaru," she drawled, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and slipping them off, turning off the light at the same time. "You don't have to worry about him."

"Is that so?" Shikamaru replied lazily, smiling despite himself as he enveloped her slight frame, warm in his arms; her familiar earthy, flowery scent overwhelmed him.

She nodded demurely, nuzzling into his shoulder comfortably. "Yes, it is so." And that was that.

**So Suki and Sasuke are friends now! What will this mean for Shikamaru and Suki's relationship? Read and find out! And I promise no more extended absences! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Enjoy!**

For Suki, the changing of the seasons in Konoha was a magical thing marred only by her constant guilt about keeping her secret from her lover. As the tension regarding her marriage to Watanabe Kenta mounted, she watched the last of the snow melt away. The new growth pushed its way from the ground and everything bloomed as Sakura and Lee's wedding loomed ever closer on the horizon.

"You look beautiful," Shikamaru complimented as the day arrived. Suki was dressed in a red kimono with a white obi belt, as she, along with Ino and Hinata, was one of Sakura's Miko maidens. She was standing in front of the mirror in the guest bedroom on the second floor that she had been occupying for the better part of a year, attempting to rearrange her hair. She seemed too preoccupied to answer. "Hello? I just gave you a compliment," he reminded her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, still distracted, patting the last blonde hair into place. "Come on, we better get going. I have to help Sakura finish getting ready."

Though the ceremony wasn't due to start for another few hours, the two of them headed for the Shinto temple where the wedding was to be held. Suki bid a quick farewell to her boyfriend and slipped into the room where Sakura was getting ready.

Ino and Hinata were already there, dressed in the same red kimonos and white obi belts that Suki had. Ino, though she and Chouji had started dating a few weeks earlier, shot Suki a dirty look and said nothing, busying herself by putting kanzashi ornaments in Sakura's hair, which was coiffed in the traditional bunkintakashimada style.

"You look lovely, Suki-san," Hinata greeted her with a friendly smile. Since she and Naruto had begun dating, the blush in her cheeks had become more radiant and open. With her long dark hair pulled back in another traditional coiffed style, she was as beautiful as any bride.

Sakura, who had been sitting on a stool while Ino attended to her hair, jumped up at once. "There you are, Suki!" she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you! Did you bring the hakoseko and the kaiken? I can't get married without them!"

"Calm down, calm down. I've got them," Suki assured her friend, pulling the small hakoseko purse and the encased kaiken sword out of her bag. "I picked them up yesterday."

Sakura sighed and sat back down on the stool, fiddling with her tabi and zori beneath the full skirt of her wedding kimono. Ino, who seemed even more annoyed at the outburst, attacked the pink hair with vigor. "Sorry, Suki. I'm so frazzled today. Who'd have thought I'd be getting married like this?" She giggled explosively. "I'm so glad you're here to celebrate it with me!"

Suki smiled and helped Hinata fix the white powder that they would use to paint Sakura's face as soon as Ino had finished with her hair. Suki really was happy for her friends, but being in Sakura and Lee's wedding only made her think about her own, which was to take place in just two months time. She wouldn't be excited and happy, with her friends about her to help her get ready. She would be empty, devoid. She would leave her soul in Konoha when she left.

Even as these melancholy thoughts whirled around her head, along with guilt at having still not told Shikamaru the truth, she helped Hinata paint Sakura's face white, outline her eyes in dark color, and paint her lips bright red. Then the three of them used the tsunokakushi cloth to cover Sakura's hair, draping it over her face.

Then the time of the ceremony was upon them. Sakura and Lee stood before the Shinto priest, her in a kimono and him in traditional hakama, while he read the wedding contract aloud. Ino, Hinata, and Suki served sake to the assembled guests in the SanSanKudo ceremony. It all passed in a blur for Suki, who couldn't get images of her own impending wedding out of her head.

It was almost a shock when the ceremony concluded and the reception began. Though traditionally it should have been a refined sort of affair, fashionable Sakura couldn't resist a chance to party with her friends. There were gifts, food, and sake galore; the entire town had turned out to celebrate with the happy shinobi couple.

As she watched the revelers dance and drink from her place by the musicians, Suki felt tears well up in her eyes. She willed them away; this was Sakura's day. It was her duty to be a good friend, not focus on her own problems.

Shikamaru, sitting dutifully beside her as always, caught the teary look. He leaned in, though not too close so as not to arouse suspicion, and whispered, "What's wrong, _hime_? Why are you crying?"

"I'm just happy for them," Suki lied, wiping at her eyes. She hoped in all the excitement of the wedding he wouldn't see through her blatant lie. She never could lie to him.

Mitsuko saved her then, appearing out of nowhere in an outrageously colorful kimono with her reddish-brown hair wound up more intricately even than Sakura's. "Suki!" she breathed, all excitement. "Come dance with me!"

"Didn't you bring a date? Can't you dance with him?" Suki suggested with a small smile, knowing she wouldn't be able to dance with Shikamaru. If suspicion wasn't already on them, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but she couldn't put that in jeopardy now.

Mitsuko rolled her eyes dramatically, draping herself over Suki's chair and completely ignoring Shikamaru. "My date doesn't dance."

"Who'd you bring?" Suki found her curiosity piqued.

Mitsuko shrugged as if it wasn't important. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Sasuke!" Suki repeated incredulously. Even Shikamaru, who had been politely pretending to ignore their conversation, snorted into his cup of sake at this juicy bit of gossip. "You brought Sasuke as your date? I thought you said he was weird and creepy!"

The red-head shrugged again, glancing over her shoulder. Sasuke was standing with Naruto and Hinata by the food, conversing with the both of them with a genuine smile on his face. "He is weird and creepy," she agreed. "But he's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. Plus he's the best-looking guy in the entire village." She grinned viciously. "So come and dance with me!"

Suki, though shocked by this news, was actually pleased, so she allowed Mitsuko to lead her out to the dance floor. The rest of the night was spent in a flurry of alcohol and dancing. Suki switched partners so many times that she even got to dance with Shikamaru during one of the fast numbers.

As the evening wound down, she found herself on the arm of Sasuke during a slow dance. The music was loud enough to drown out their words, so Suki said, "So you and Mitsuko, eh?"

Sasuke chuckled, looking a little embarrassed. "I guess I have you to thank for it," he said, his hand resting on her waist comfortably. "Because you're a foreigner, powerful and beautiful, I was drawn to you, and Mitsuko was like your shadow. Or, now that I know her, maybe you were her shadow." He chuckled again. "It was probably inevitable. We both spent our academy days lusted after by other students and yet we both turned them down over and over again. We sort of make a great couple."

"I'm really happy for you," Suki told him honestly, swaying with the music. Their bodies were pressed close together, but she wasn't wary of him anymore. He had come to be a good friend to her, one that she needed right now. "Mitsuko can be a handful, but I think you'll be good for each other."

Sasuke smiled at her for a moment, a friendly smile that held no animosity or anger. He almost looked a little sad. "Have you told Shikamaru the truth yet? About your fiance waiting for you in Taki?"

She looked down at her feet shuffling beneath the skirt of her red kimono. "No. I've been trying, but how do I bring up something like that?"

"Suki, you _have_ to tell him," Sasuke insisted, taking her by the shoulders and staring deep into her black eyes. "You're returning to your homeland soon, right?"

She nodded, a lone lock of blonde hair falling across her tanned forehead. "I'm supposed to leave in just a few weeks."

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Look, you can't leave things like this. Are you just going to go home without telling him? And let him find out that you got married through somebody else?"

"No..." She was sniffling now, trying not to cry on the dance floor. She couldn't let Shikamaru see her tears while she was dancing with Sasuke. "I know I have to tell him, I just don't know _how_. He means _so_ much to me..."

Sasuke tilted her face up so she was looking at him, not hiding her face in his shoulder. "That's why you owe him an explanation.

**Hee hee. Lee and Sakura married. Who'd have thought? Hope you're enjoying! Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**It's a really short chapter, sorry!**

Suki had a fortnight left in Konoha, and it was the hardest two weeks of her life. She tried at every opportunity to tell her lover the truth, about the future that was set out for her back in Takigakure, but the words wouldn't come. She lay awake every night, wrapped in the warm embrace of the one she had come to rely on, Sasuke's words ringing over and over again in her head.

And the time seemed to pass so quickly. Every day was like a blur where she tried to squeeze in as much as she could. Her friends came to tell her goodbye amidst many hugs and tears and promises to write. Yoshino was teary-eyed and weepy, and even Shikako seemed upset that she would be leaving them after becoming very nearly family.

But the hardest of all, even harder than saying goodbye to Kiba and Hinata, was parting with Shikamaru. They didn't talk about it, though it was ever-present in both their minds. They carried on as if nothing was changing, though their passion for one another grew as it came time to go their separate ways.

The night before her departure, when the weather was rainy and warm and sultry, found the two of them in Suki's bedroom. Tsunade was sending her home to Taki with an armed guard, which Suki was convinced was an attempt to keep her from running. Suki was packing up the things she had amassed during her extended stay in Konoha: things she had picked up in the village or on trips, gifts from the friends she had made.

"Don't go," Shikamaru broke the silence, his voice thick with emotion. He was seated on her bed, the one she had hardly ever slept in, fiddling with a trinket that had been a gift from Sakura. "Just stay here with me. Everyone loves you here. You can be Konoha's princess."

Suki wiped away the ever-present tears from her eyes. "I can't stay here," she told him, her heart breaking. "I have a duty in Takigakure. My whole country is counting on me."

"Then I'll come with you," he declared, tossing the trinket aside and getting to his feet earnestly. "Just let me remain by your side, _hime_."

Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, and it hurt all the more because she knew she had no one to blame for her pain but herself. "You can't come with me, my love," she choked between sobs.

He was at her side in an instant, his arm around her shoulder, comforting her. "Why?" he pressed. "Why can't I come with you? I'll be your guardian, your protector-"

"Because I'm getting married in two months!" she wailed, unable to keep her voice down.

Shikamaru's arm dropped and his expression changed to one of almost wary surprise. "What?"

"I've been betrothed to a man for political reasons since I was fourteen years old," she managed to choke out through her sobs. "I don't want to marry him! I want to marry you! I've been trying to get out of it, I have, but I can't!"

Shikamaru's voice was suddenly cold, furious. "You've been engaged to someone the entire time you've been here? The entire time you've been with me?" The quietness in his voice was terrifying; Suki hadn't seen him this angry before, even with the incident during the Okuma-kabuto festival in the neighboring village.

She didn't know what to say to appease him; there was nothing she could say. She shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it either. He had been the best thing to ever happen to her.

"I-" she tried, but he interrupted her by storming out of the room. She could hear him stomp up the steps and slam the door of his bedroom.

Wailing like a child, Suki desperately tried to follow him. She beat on the door until her hands bled, but he had locked it and would not open it.

She didn't sleep that night, but lay awake on the unfamiliar bed in the guest room and watched the moon and stars twinkle merrily in the velvet blackness of her last night in Konoha. Her tears didn't cease until morning.

Shikamaru was gone by the time the guard arrived at the Nara house to escort Suki back to her home. She felt like an empty shell of a person as she bid Yoshino and Shikako goodbye, looking up at the window she had often stood at, wrapped in the arms of the only man she would ever love. But she had no more tears to shed. Her heart and soul would remain in that bedroom, with that man, until her body withered up and died.

With one last look at the closest thing she had ever had to a home, Suki pulled her hood over her head to keep out the rain and turned her feet towards Taki.

**Awwww. Sad. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Enjoy!**

Suki had been gone for a week and a half, and things hadn't gotten better. Shikamaru had hoped that once she was away from Konoha, she would be easier to forget. It would be better for everyone if he forgot. But he couldn't. Everywhere he went held a memory of her: the training ground, the woods, the ramen bar. His own bedroom wasn't even safe. Though he'd washed the sheets three times since her departure, he couldn't get rid of the flowery herb scent. He couldn't forget the feel of her skin on his, the way her eyes would follow him when she thought no one was looking, the way her lips felt against his.

He got out of bed only when required, and he had lost even the sarcastic demeanor that had once defined him.

"We've got to do something about Shikamaru," Chouji muttered one afternoon. He was at the Ichiraku ramen bar with Ino, Sakura, and Hinata. "He's miserable."

Ino tapped the tabletop with her sharp fingernails. "Why?" she sneered nastily. "He brought it on himself, getting involved with the Hokage's daughter."

Chouji gave her a stern look. "He's my best friend, Ino. I hate to seem him in such bad shape."

"I agree," Sakura said, slurping at her drink. "It was a crummy thing for Suki to do, but we could all see how much they cared about each other. But what can we do?"

Hinata, sitting beside the pink-haired shinobi, said nothing.

As soon as the four of them left the ramen bar and split, Hinata made the trek up the north road to the Nara house, the first time she had ever done so in her eighteen years of life. Shy, timid Hinata walked right up to the house and knocked on the door.

It was opened by Yoshino, who had been in the middle of folding laundry. She had a strained look about her eyes, but she seemed surprised to see Hinata, whom she had never spoken with directly before.

"Oh, hello," she said politely, looking around as if someone else might be hiding nearby. "Hyuuga Hinata, right? How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Shikamaru, Nara-sama." Hinata ducked her head politely, her long dark hair falling over one petite shoulder. "Is he home?"

Yoshino glanced over her shoulder rather anxiously, hesitating. She'd been terribly worried about her son since they'd lost Suki, but she wasn't sure if a visitor was what he needed at the moment. "I think he's sleeping right now, so-"

Before she could stop her, Hinata had ducked under Yoshino's arm and was dashing up the stairs. "I'm so sorry, Nara-sama," she shouted over her shoulder. "But I have something to say that can't wait!"

She burst into Shikamaru's room to find him lying face-down on his bed, unmoving but awake. He raised his head a fraction of an inch. "Hinata?"

"I'm disappointed in you, Nara Shikamaru," she said firmly, her hands on her hips. "You can't lay around moping all day."

He let his head fall back to the mattress. "What do you know?" he muttered darkly.

"A lot more than you think," she insisted.

"She _lied_ to me, Hinata!" he growled, finally sitting up. "She knew when we first got involved that she would be leaving me! I feel like such an idiot! I went on and on about how much I loved her, about getting married and being with her forever! She knew that whole time and let me go on and on, when I was just a toy to her!"

"Shikamaru, you know Suki better than anyone else," Hinata said solemnly. "She is not the type of person who would just use you. Now get up. There's someone you need to talk to."

He hesitated a moment, but seeing Hinata so forceful about something made him get out of bed and follow her. He said nothing to his mother, who watched the two of them leave without a word.

"Where are we going?" Shikamaru demanded as they got on the west road.

Hinata plowed on without hesitation. "You'll see."

After about a quarter of an hour, the two of them found themselves outside of the small house where Sasuke had been living since his return to Konoha. Hinata started to go up to the door, but he grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Why are we here?" he demanded coldly. Sasuke was really the last person he wanted to see right then.

Hinata jerked her arm away, her silvery eyes flashing passionately. "Because there are some things you need to hear." She took a deep breath. "Look Shikamaru, Suki did everything she could to help me find happiness. I'm returning the favor now. Come on."

Sasuke seemed surprised to see them when he opened the door, but he politely invited them in. His home was scrupulously clean but rather bare. There was a feminine-looking garment over the arm of the sofa that looked suspiciously like Mitsuko's, but Sasuke hid it nonchalantly and offered them seats.

"What can I help you with this afternoon?" Sasuke said politely, taking a seat himself in the only other chair.

Shikamaru crossed his arms moodily and said nothing.

Hinata took a deep breath. "You knew what was going on with Suki, right? You knew about the whole fiance thing?"

Sasuke seemed a little taken aback. "How-" he began.

"I overheard you talking at Sakura and Lee's wedding reception," Hinata admitted. "She told you, right? I need you to tell Shikamaru everything she told you."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly. "Alright, but only because I think you deserve to know the truth. When Suki first came to Konoha, she was a spoiled little princess. She didn't think of anyone's feelings other than her own. Trust me, I know this firsthand." He sounded a little dry but didn't comment further. "When she first got involved with you, she thought nothing of your feelings. She could have dropped you as soon as you got boring or as soon as she had to go home.

"But she fell in love with you. That was something she had never expected. By the time I found out about the fiance, she was so desperate to find a way to break off the engagement that I thought she would have done anything. She tried. Believe me, she tried. Every time we talked about it she couldn't stop crying because she was so afraid of hurting you. You meant everything to her, but this marriage was political and she had absolutely no say in it."

He leveled his gaze on Shikamaru, who had listened to everything without a word. "And I'm pretty sure you love her that much too. So, if I were you, I would stop moping around and I would get her back."

"But how?" Shikamaru finally blurted out, exasperated and desperate. He had never felt less in control of his emotions. "You said yourself that Suki tried everything and couldn't get the engagement called off!"

Hinata cleared her throat softly and both boys looked at her. "I think I may have an idea."

**Dun dun dun! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Special thanks to personaprincesspeach for her lovely review!**

"You want me to what?" Naruto demanded. It was an hour later, and the three of them had accosted him as he was on his way home from training.

"We need you to speak with the Hokage about Suki's marriage," Sasuke explained, his usually emotionless face earnest. "See if you can get her to change her mind about the engagement."

Naruto frowned. "If Suki couldn't get her to call it off, I don't see how I can be of any help..."

"You know the Fifth better than even Suki did," Shikamaru pointed out, recalling Suki's expression when she'd found out about the necklace Tsunade had given Naruto. "You have to be able to say _something_."

Naruto pursed his lips. He wanted to help. After all, Suki was the reason he and Hinata had finally gotten together. Even if hadn't been good friends with her, he would have wanted to help just because of that. "Actually, maybe I can do something. Come with me."

The four of them sped through the streets of Konoha, headed directly for the tower that housed Tsunade's office. They were past the jounin and up the stairs before anyone had even noticed that they were there.

"What-" Tsunade began, looking up from where she was folding up a series of maps.

Naruto interrupted her by slamming the door shut, and she was faced with four fiery-eyed young chuunin. "We've got to talk, Old Hag."

"Don't call me that, you little brat." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "And you're not allowed in my office without an appointment."

"You have to call off Suki's engagement to that guy back in Takigakure," Naruto said firmly. "You have the power. You're the only one who can do it."

Tsunade gave an exasperated sigh. "Did she put you up to this? As the daughter of the Hero of the Hidden Falls and the Hokage of Konohagakure, it is her duty to marry for her country. There's nothing I can do."

"What about Dan?" Naruto's voice was cold, and Tsunade froze. The other chuunin didn't know what their blonde comrade was talking about, but it had certainly gotten the Hokage's attention. "Shikamaru is Suki's Dan, Old Hag. If you make her marry this guy, you will be _killing_ her."

Tsunade sat down heavily in her chair, almost expressionless now.

Naruto's voice softened. "You may not know her well and you may not understand her, but Suki is your daughter, and I don't think you want to do that to her. You lost the man you loved, the same man who had this." He clutched the necklace she had given him in his fist. "And you have missed him, mourned him, every day since his death. How could you knowingly do that to your own flesh and blood?"

There was a long silence, and Tsunade wiped away a lone tear from her cheek. "Get your friends together. I don't know what I can do about the engagement, since it's been set in stone for years, but we're going to Takigakure."

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**Well not really. But anyway. Sorry it's a short chapter. There's only one more after this, so please keep reading!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Okay everyone, this is the last chapter!**

It was very nearly summer, and in Taki that meant a sultry sort of tropical humidity. The landscape was beautiful, as was the palace where Suki resided. The flowers were in bloom, filling the air with a colorful, sweet-smelling haze that put everyone in a good mood. Everyone except Suki, that was.

It was the day before her wedding. She wanted to feel at least a semblance of the happiness that she had seen in Sakura's face on the day of her wedding, but there was nothing there. She had no more tears to shed.

She allowed her attendants to dress her. They put her in her floral gown and twisted her hair into the curling, knotted up-do that symbolized the royalty of Takigakure, and not just because that was customary. Suki had lost the will. She could have gone to the assembly in a canvas sack for all she cared.

She felt numb as she was led to the arena where the Reveal would be held. The Reveal Ceremony was the final obstacle between now and her wedding, the assembly when the villagers of Takigakure were formally invited to the wedding the following afternoon. She didn't allow herself to think about what would happen after she was married to Kenta. He was a good man, if a little bland, and she knew he would be a good ruler for her people, but the thought of having to wake up next to him every day for the rest of her life was enough to send her into hysterics. She couldn't think about it because she didn't know how to deal with the disappointment and heartbreak her life had become.

She was shown into the royal box, where her father was already waiting, along with Watanabe Kenta. Her father, Yamamoto Kensuke, was fully decked out in his ceremonial best. He was old. Both he and Tsunade had been well into their forties when Suki had been born, but, unlike Tsunade, Kensuke used no illusion and he looked his age.

"Ah, Katsuki," he greeted her sweetly, gesturing for her to join him on his cushioned seat. "Come, look at all our people who have come to celebrate your marriage with you."

Suki obediently crossed the box and took her seat, though there was no enthusiasm. Even Kenta, sitting on her other side, seemed apologetic. He knew she loved another; _everyone_ knew that their princess was lovesick, but what could be done? These wheels had long since been set into motion.

The Hero of the Hidden Falls got to his feet, and the assembled crowd below them fell into a hushed silence at once. "Good afternoon, and thank you for coming to this wondrous celebration!" His voice boomed out across his people, hopeful and optimistic. He was an old man, and he had been ready for a long time to pass his position to a younger and equally abled individual such as Watanabe Kenta. "Tomorrow, Takigakure will celebrate the union of my daughter, Katsuki, and the jewel of the Watanabe clan, Kenta. We would like to formally invite-" He stopped short as a commotion began at the entrance to the arena. "What the..."

Suki, despite her heartache, found herself vaguely intrigued and grateful for the interruption. Whatever it was, it had given her a few more seconds of respite before this awful announcement could be delivered to her people. But as she peered across the sun-drenched arena, through the haze of heat and people, she thought she saw her mother.

As the dust seemed to settle, Suki was amazed to see that it was, in fact, Tsunade. She strode directly to the center of the arena and stopped, her beautiful face turned up to the box where her daughter and former husband sat.

Tsunade must have come to see the wedding, Suki thought bitterly to herself. She felt a flash of anger, the first real emotion besides despair that she'd felt since leaving Konoha weeks before. She got to her feet, staring down at her mother. "Did you come all this way just to gloat, mother?" she demanded. She was too empty to deliver the words with her usual scathing tone.

"No, actually," Tsunade said calmly. She turned to her ex-husband and bowed her head politely. "Hello, Kensuke. I hope you don't mind, but I've got a proposition for you regarding our daughter."

Kensuke frowned. "What on earth is going on, Tsunade?" he demanded. He tried to whisper it, but the sound carried clear across the silent arena. "You can't just parade in here like this and-"

"Excuse me for the interruption," Tsunade cut him off smoothly. "But, like I said, I have a proposition. Clearly you have noticed that Katsuki is less than enthused about her arranged marriage to Watanabe Kenta, good man though he may be. I have a young gentleman that would like to fight Watanabe-sama for our daughter's hand. I can vouch that he is an excellent man, every bit as capable as young Kenta. I would like to give him the opportunity to prove himself, not only to you but to Katsuki."

There arena grew even quieter than it had been before, if that was possible. Suki found she was holding her breath. What was going on? Was _he_ here? She had dreamed about it, certainly, but she had been convinced that her fate was sealed.

Tsunade beckoned to the entrance and not one but a whole group of foreign shinobi entered the arena. Suki would have known their faces by heart even if she couldn't see them. Shikamaru was there, along with Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, TenTen, Naruto, Mitsuko, and Sasuke. They wore faces that were excited, determined, and fierce.

Suki was overwhelmed with emotions. She had had no friends before going to Konoha, and now she had all these friends who cared about her enough to travel this far to rescue her. She thought she had spent all her tears, but now more came, though these were of joy and hope.

Shikamaru stepped up next to Tsunade, his face grim and determined. He bowed his head respectfully. "Yamamoto-sama," he said, his deep voice carrying to the far reaches of the arena. "I know this is rather unorthodox, but I cannot in good conscience let your daughter marry anyone other than me. I do not doubt Watanabe-san's quality by any means, but I love Suki. I ask for a chance to prove my love. If I can win a battle against her betrothed, I ask that I can have her hand instead."

Just to see him in the flesh, to hear his voice, sent Suki into ecstatic tears. But she was terrified too. She knew her father all too well. It would be extremely out of character to agree to these conditions. Kensuke cared far too much about his people to possibly put their lives in the hands of a stranger from Hi no Kuni.

"I'm sorry, young man," Kensuke began, and Suki felt all those timid hopes shatter into a million pieces. "This is just out of the question-"

"Excuse me, Yamamoto-sama," Kenta interrupted, a charismatic and confident smile on his face. "If you don't mind, I'd like to accept this young man's offer. What he proposes is reasonable. If he has the honorable Hokage standing behind him, he is obviously a worthy shinobi. I would be honored to try my hand against him."

Kensuke looked very unhappy with the way the afternoon had turned, but he couldn't very well say no in front of the entire population of his city when Kenta had offered himself so honorably. "Very well," he sighed, and one could almost hear the sigh of excitement rustle through the attentive crowd. "This battle will be held right now, with no preparation for either participant. The winner will receive the title of Hero of the Hidden Falls and the hand of my daughter, Yamamoto Katsuki. Gentleman, please ready yourselves." He lowered his voice. "Good look, Kenta."

"Thank you, sensei." Kenta bowed his head respectfully, gave Suki a long look, then left the box to descend the stairs to the arena floor.

The group of Leaf nins bid their comrade good luck and went to find seats to watch the fight out of harm's way. Tsunade also wished Shikamaru good luck, then made her way up to the box. She sat down in Kenta's vacated seat with a relieved sigh.

Kensuke glared at her. "What are you doing, Tsunade?" he demanded. "This union between the Yamamoto clan and the Watanabe clan has been _years_ in the making. Why are you putting it all in jeopardy now, right before we've reached the finish line?"

Tsunade gave him a level look. "Let's be real, Kensuke. You and I... our union was one of practicality and see where that got us? A few years into our marriage and it all fell apart because neither of our convictions were enough to cover the despair we both felt at losing the ones we loved. I lost my true love to war and you lost yours to a fire, and neither of us ever got over it. Katsuki now has the chance at a life that we never got. We should give her that chance."

Suki's tears had yet to cease. She gripped her mother's hand, something she could not remember doing in her almost eighteen years of life. "Thank you," she murmured through her tears. Tsunade only smiled kindly and squeezed her daughter's hand.

Kensuke was silent for a moment. "Katsuki, you know I want what is best for you. I just don't know-"

"_I_ do," Suki insisted fervently. "I know that he is the best for me, daddy. Only with him could I be happy."

Kensuke sighed and didn't speak of the matter further, knowing it was two against one in that top box. He got to his feet again and looked out across the crowd. The two fighters, Kenta and Shikamaru, were ready and waiting in the arena. "As with any shinobi battle, anything goes, though I hope both of you will live through it," Kensuke announced, his voice booming out across the assembly again. "May the best man win! Begin!"

The two fighters circled one another for a moment, neither attacking while they judged the strength and training of their opponent. It was Kenta who ultimately made the first move. His trademark jutsu manipulated the water out of the ground, which, in a place as tropical as Takigakure, was ample.

Kenta had no way of knowing, of course, what a good strategist Shikamaru was. He hadn't been the first to become a chuunin in his class for nothing. He also had no way of knowing Shikamaru's clan ability to control shadows. He caught the shadow of the water attack Kenta was sending his way and knocked it away as if it was a troublesome fly.

And then the two really got down to work.

It was a fast, rather evenly matched battle. Though Kenta was a few years older and had more extensive training, he was obviously a bureaucrat, unused to real battles. Shikamaru, on the other hand, even though he was only a chuunin, was well-experienced in this sort of fighting. His genius-level IQ didn't hurt anything either.

Suki watched the battle on the edge of her seat, gnawing on her thumbnail anxiously. She wanted Shikamaru to win, obviously, but she was afraid he would get hurt. She couldn't live with herself if anything happened to him on her account.

The day wore on and still the two young men battled, showing no weakness. Suki's thumb was bleeding where she had been chewing on it, but she couldn't stop. The tears were dried on her cheeks and her mouth was dry.

It was nearly dusk when the battle finally ended. Shikamaru, bleeding and bruised, sent a final surge of chakra toward his exhausted opponent and Kenta collapsed and did not get up. The hastily appointed judge called the match. Shikamaru had won.

The crowd erupted into cheers but nothing matched the sound issuing from Suki's mouth. She had flung herself down the stairs and out onto the field before either of her parents had a chance to react.

It didn't matter that Suki was dressed in her finest garments, nor that Shikamaru was bleeding, with an obviously broken right arm. She flung herself into his embrace amid the cheers, while the Leaf shinobi poured onto the floor, screaming and hooting. Shikamaru took her face in his uninjured hand and crushed his mouth to hers. He'd done it! He had won!

Tears were pouring down Suki's face as her friends reached her, enveloping them in hugs of their own, kissing her and congratulating the pair. Kenta slowly got to his feet and approached the happy couple.

"It was a good match, friend," Kenta smiled wearily, holding out his hand. Shikamaru, wrapping his injured arm carefully around Suki, shook the offered hand.

"Thank you," he said seriously. "Suki means more to me than anything, and without your honor I would have lived the rest of my life without her."

Kenta nodded. "I can see that. You deserve her."

Up in the box, Kensuke and Tsunade had gotten to their feet. Kensuke cleared his throat and the restless crowd grew quiet again. "After his amazing display of talent, strength, and prowess, our victor is Nara Shikamaru from the Hidden Leaf. As agreed, he will now receive the title of Hero of the Hidden Falls, as well as my daughter's hand in marriage."

"With all due respect, sensei," Shikamaru interrupted smoothly, still wrapped about Suki, smearing his blood, sweat, and grime over her dress and not caring. "I would like to politely refuse the title you offer me. Your daughter's hand is all that I ask. I would not make a good leader for your people. Kenta here is a leader. You should leave the position with him, and let me have Suki."

Kensuke and Kenta both seemed taken aback by Shikamaru's offer. "You are really refusing the leadership position of Takigakure? That isn't what you wanted?"

Shikamaru chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent tingles down Suki's spine. Was she really going to get to hear that sound every day for the rest of her life? It seemed too good to be true. "I told you already, sensei, that your daughter is all I could ever want. I would like her to return to Konoha with her mother and me, where she is loved and will be well taken care of. I promise, sensei, that no one will take better care of her than I."

A slow smile spread across Kensuke's aged face. "What say you to this agreement, Watanabe-san?"

Kenta wiped blood from his brow and gave Shikamaru a look of relieved disbelief. "It would be an honor to accept, if you'll still have me."

"Then it's settled," Kensuke announced. "Katsuki will return to Hi no Kuni and wed this man who obviously loves her a great deal, and Watanabe Kenta will replace me as leader of Takigakure! Let the country rejoice!" The crowd did indeed rejoice, and none more than Suki and Shikamaru.

They remained in Taki for a few days more, just long enough for Shikamaru to heal and Suki to pack up everything she would need for the permanent move from Taki to Konoha. Then, with Tsunade and a guard of Konoha shinobi, they headed back to their home and their new lives together.

**A nice and tidy end!**


End file.
